cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Randomization Tests for Single Case Designs with Rapidly Alternating Conditions: An Analysis of p -Values from Published Experiments

Two common barriers to applying statistical tests to single-case experiments are that single-case data often violate the assumptions of parametric tests and that random assignment is inconsistent with the logic of single-case design. However, in the case of randomization tests applied to single-case experiments with rapidly alternating conditions, neither the statistical assumptions nor the logic of the designs are violated. To examine the utility of randomization tests for single-case data, we collected a sample of published articles including alternating treatments or multielement designs with random or semi-random condition sequences. We extracted data from graphs and used randomization tests to estimate the probability of obtaining results at least as extreme as the results in the experiment by chance alone (i.e., p-value). We compared the distribution of p-values from experimental comparisons that did and did not indicate a functional relation based on visual analysis and evaluated agreement between visual and statistical analysis at several levels of α. Results showed different means, shapes, and spreads for the p-value distributions and substantial agreement between visual and statistical analysis when α = .05, with lower agreement when α was adjusted to preserve family-wise error at .05. Questions remain, however, on the appropriate application and interpretation of randomization tests for single-case designs.
ANTIEPILEPTIC DRUGS | GABA Transporters as Targets of Antiepileptic Drugs

In this article, we review the molecular, biophysical, and pharmacologic properties of GABA transporters as they relate to antiepileptic drug action. We describe data that suggest changes in the function and expression of GABA transporters in human epilepsy, and discuss the different consequences of these alterations on neural excitability and seizures. Special attention is given to the predicted consequences of pharmacologic inhibition of GABA transporters as antiepileptic therapy. We identify two classes of antiepileptic drugs that exert effects through actions on GABA transporters: (1) Drugs that directly inhibit GABA transporters – such as tiagabine and (2) drugs – such as vigabatrin, gabapentin, pregabalin, and valproic acid – that work indirectly through GABA transporters by increasing the surface expression of GABA transporters or altering GABA metabolism, with subsequent increases in GABA concentrations that alter the electrochemical equilibrium of GABA transporters.
Neuropeptidergic modulation of GnRH neuronal activity and GnRH secretion controlling reproduction: insights from recent mouse studies

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion from GnRH neurons and its modulation by neuropeptides are essential for mammalian reproduction. Here, I review the neuropeptides that have been shown to act directly and that may also act indirectly, on GnRH neurons, the reproduction-related processes with which the neuropeptides may be associated or the physiological information they may convey, as well as their cognate receptors, signaling pathways and roles in the modulation of GnRH neuronal firing, [Ca2+]i, GnRH secretion and reproduction. The review focuses on recent research in mice, which offer the most tractable experimental system for studying mammalian GnRH neurons.
Glowing Graphene Nanoelectromechanical Resonators at Ultra-High Temperature up to 2650K

We report on the first experimental demonstration of electrothermally tuned few-layer graphene resonant nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) operating at high and very high frequency (HF/VHF) simultaneously with strong visible light emission. In tri-layer graphene resonators with carefully controlled Joule heating, we have demonstrated ultra-wide frequency tuning up to $\Delta f/f_{0}\approx 1300\%$ , which is the highest frequency tuning range known to date among reported 2D materials resonators. Simultaneously, device temperature variations imposed by Joule heating are monitored using Raman spectroscopy and emission spectrum; and we find that the device temperature increases from 300K up to 2650K, which is the highest operating temperature known to date for electromechanical resonators. When device temperature is above 1800K, the vibrating graphene NEMS starts glowing and emitting visible light with robust mechanical resonance. These results show that electromechanical resonance modes can be robustly sustained and read out at glowing temperatures with incandescent emission in graphene NEMS, suggesting new perspectives for integrating and configuring timing functions in light emitting graphene devices for harsh and extreme environment applications.
Design Thinking in Technical and Professional Communication: Four Perspectives:

In this special issue, we explore design thinking as a broad conceptual process as well as a tool that might align with the work of technical and professional communication (TPC) programs. But what...
Similarity and Difference in Characteristics of Two Diseases, SFTS and CCHF, and Their Causative Agents

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) are caused by two distinct bunyaviruses and show some common characteristics. In this chapter, the author compares characteristics of the two diseases/viruses, hoping that the comparison will merit understanding of the viruses and developing of countermeasures against the diseases.
Identification of substance use disorders among pregnant women: A comparison of screeners.

Abstract Background The purpose of this study is to evaluate five self-report, non-proprietary questionnaires in the identification of substance use disorders [including alcohol, cannabis, opioids, and stimulants] among pregnant women. Procedures A total of 1220 pregnant women completed the NIDA Quick Screen, CRAFFT, Substance Use Risk Profile-Pregnancy (SURP-P), Wayne Indirect Drug Use Questionnaire (WIDUS), and the 5 Ps, as well as the MINI diagnostic interview for substance use disorders, which served as the reference standard. Measures of merit calculated for each screener included sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC). Main findings The participants were socioeconomically diverse, with a mean age of 29 years. Over 15% met diagnostic criteria for a substance use disorder. AUROCS for identifying any substance use disorder (including alcohol) ranged from a high of 0.75 for the CRAFFT (95% CI = 0.72–79) and 0.74 for the SURP-P (95% CI = 0.71–.78) to a low of 0.62 for the NIDA Quick Screen (95% CI = 0.59–.65). Overall accuracy of most tested measures was higher for identification of alcohol use disorders than for other substance use disorders (e.g., AUROCs for the CRAFFT and SURP-P for identifying alcohol use disorders were 0.78 and 0.77, respectively). Principal conclusions The CRAFFT and SURP-P showed modest ability to identify substance use disorders among pregnant women. Future research is needed to develop an ideal questionnaire set in the complicated societal context which includes increasing rates of use and potential sanction.
Case 10: Epidural Analgesia for Labor – Watch Out

A 42-year-old female (85 kg 5 ft 8 in.) is requesting an epidural for labor pain. She is a para 3 and has had epidurals in the past without any problem. Previous medical history is noncontributory and she has had no surgeries. The epidural is inserted uneventfully. The patient is placed on a continuous epidural infusion of 0.2% ropivacaine at a rate of 8 mL/h with patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) bolus setting at 6 mL/30 min using an epidural pump (Painsmart IOD, model #360-1101, Curlin Medical, Huntington Beach, CA 92649). The pump is placed above her by about 10 in. (30 cm) and attached to an IV pole. This is usual procedure, so the staff does not have to bend down to change the settings. The patient delivers a healthy boy 2 h later. After the episiotomy repair, the pump is turned off. Thirty minutes later no motor block is present. The patient received a total of approximately 40 mL of ropivacaine. She is very satisfied with your epidural and thanks you profusely. As she has consented for a tubal ligation, the epidural catheter is left in situ but as, mentioned, the pump is turned off.
Convergent extension in mammalian morphogenesis

Convergent extension is a fundamental morphogenetic process that underlies not only the generation of the elongated vertebrate body plan from the initially radially symmetrical embryo, but also the specific shape changes characteristic of many individual tissues. These tissue shape changes are the result of specific cell behaviors, coordinated in time and space, and affected by the physical properties of the tissue. While mediolateral cell intercalation is the classic cellular mechanism for producing tissue convergence and extension, other cell behaviors can also provide similar tissue-scale distortions or can modulate the effects of mediolateral cell intercalation to sculpt a specific shape. Regulation of regional tissue morphogenesis through planar polarization of the variety of underlying cell behaviors is well-recognized, but as yet is not well understood at the molecular level. Here, we review recent advances in understanding the cellular basis for convergence and extension and its regulation.
The "Caring Giver": Emotional Caregiving in the Setting of Essential Tremor.

Introduction:Essential tremor (ET) is a common neurological disorder associated with functional impairment. Emerging evidence shows that some ET caregivers experience burden, but the unique interpe...
Congenital heart defects in CHARGE: The molecular role of CHD7 and effects on cardiac phenotype and clinical outcomes

CHARGE syndrome is characterized by a pattern of congenital anomalies (Coloboma of the eye, Heart defects, Atresia of the choanae, Retardation of growth, Genital abnormalities, and Ear abnormalities). De novo mutations of chromodomain helicase DNA binding protein 7 (CHD7) are the primary cause of CHARGE syndrome. The clinical phenotype is highly variable including a wide spectrum of congenital heart defects. Here, we review the range of congenital heart defects and the molecular effects of CHD7 on cardiovascular development that lead to an over-representation of atrioventricular septal, conotruncal, and aortic arch defects in CHARGE syndrome. Further, we review the overlap of cardiovascular and noncardiovascular comorbidities present in CHARGE and their impact on the peri-operative morbidity and mortality in individuals with CHARGE syndrome.
Adaptive multiarm multistage clinical trials

Two methods for designing adaptive multiarm multistage (MAMS) clinical trials, originating from conceptually different group sequential frameworks are presented, and their operating characteristics are compared. In both methods pairwise comparisons are made, stage-by-stage, between each treatment arm and a common control arm with the goal of identifying active treatments and dropping inactive ones. At any stage one may alter the future course of the trial through adaptive changes to the prespecified decision rules for treatment selection and sample size reestimation, and notwithstanding such changes, both methods guarantee strong control of the family-wise error rate. The stage-wise MAMS approach was historically the first to be developed and remains the standard method for designing inferentially seamless phase 2-3 clinical trials. In this approach, at each stage, the data from each treatment comparison are summarized by a single multiplicity adjusted P-value. These stage-wise P-values are combined by a prespecified combination function and the resultant test statistic is monitored with respect to the classical two-arm group sequential efficacy boundaries. The cumulative MAMS approach is a more recent development in which a separate test statistic is constructed for each treatment comparison from the cumulative data at each stage. These statistics are then monitored with respect to multiplicity adjusted group sequential efficacy boundaries. We compared the powers of the two methods for designs with two and three active treatment arms, under commonly utilized decision rules for treatment selection, sample size reestimation and early stopping. In our investigations, which were carried out over a reasonably exhaustive exploration of the parameter space, the cumulative MAMS designs were more powerful than the stage-wise MAMS designs, except for the homogeneous case of equal treatment effects, where a small power advantage was discernable for the stage-wise MAMS designs.
Hydrogeology and Landform Morphology Affect Plant Communities in a Great Lakes Ridge-and-Swale Wetland Complex

Trajectories of vegetative change in wetlands can be influenced strongly by shifts in water-table elevation driven by evapotranspiration and spatial-temporal variability in groundwater. The specific dynamics of such interactions are difficult to quantify because of spatial complexities associated with local climate, geomorphology, and underlying geology. Nonetheless, a better understanding of the effects of groundwater and landform pattern on plant communities in wetlands can help with future predictions of change. Over two successive growing seasons, we investigated water-balance dynamics in 15 wetlands in a forested Great Lakes coastal wetland complex consisting of relict beach ridges and intervening swales. Our goal was to explore how variation in hydrogeology and landform morphology affected plant community composition. Water-balance analyses from water-level fluctuation methods, along with interpretation of underlying stratigraphy and slope, were used to explain plant-community ordination results. Our findings showed that phreatophytic plant communities developed in locations where hydrogeology or greater slopes allowed for supplemental groundwater flow to the swales. Conversely, shallow water-table slopes maintained standing water in swales, leading to obligate wetland plant communities. This study provides a clearer representation of hydrogeologic and ecohydrologic interactions to help inform our understanding of the relationship between groundwater hydrology and plant communities in wetlands.
Behavior of the average-log-ratio ALR gear-damage detection algorithm in cases of a single damage form:

A mathematical model of static-transmission-error frequency-domain contributions caused by a single generic form of gear-tooth damage is used to explain observed behavior of the average-log-ratio (...
Urban House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) populations decline in North America

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) populations declined across much of their global range in the late 20th century. Most research examining this decline is conducted in the species' native European range, but Europe encompasses a small portion of the species' current distribution. House Sparrow population trends in the United States and Canada, and the potential mechanisms driving these trends, remain relatively unexplored. We use 21 years of data from Project FeederWatch, a large-scale citizen science project, to investigate House Sparrow population trends in North America. We found winter flocks in urbanized areas were larger than flocks in rural areas, with widespread spatial heterogeneity in local population trends. Despite greater abundance in developed areas, House Sparrow populations declined in developed areas from 1995 to 2016 while remaining stable in rural areas. House Sparrow population declines coincide with an increase in populations and expansion of the winter distributions of Accipiter hawks, which are known predators of House Sparrows. However, we do not find a direct connection between the presence of Accipiter hawks at count sites and House Sparrow population declines in winter. These results expand our knowledge of widespread House Sparrow declines to North America and provide context for continuing research on House Sparrow declines in the introduced range.
Adequate intake of plant protein foods and moderate intake of animal protein foods are inversely associated with C-reactive protein in US adults with diabetes: A cross-sectional study with National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Abstract Objective This study examined the association between index component score levels of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) density-based index and the Healthy Eating Index–2015 (HEI-2015) for protein foods and a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) level in US adults with diabetes status. Methods This cross-sectional study used data from adult participants (≥20 y) in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2010 (n = 12070) to obtain hs-CRP levels and index scores in US adults. Odds ratios (OR) of having an elevated hs-CRP (>3.0 mg/L) by score levels of protein food components (low: Results After adjusting for age group, sex, race/ethnicity, and other potential confounders, participants with a low score were more likely to have an elevated hs-CRP level than those with a high score (DASH plant proteins and HEI-2015 seafood and plant proteins: P Conclusions Moderate intake of animal protein foods and adequate intake of plant protein foods were inversely associated with an elevated hs-CRP level in US adults, especially in those with diabetes. Further investigation is required to establish ideal density-based amounts or proportions of protein food subgroups.
Derivatives of Scalar Functions

We have seen that derivatives of vector functions can be taken component by component. Consequently, much of our investigation of such derivatives reduces to the study of derivatives of real-valued functions. In this chapter we study some derivative properties for which reduction to the scalar case has an interesting variety of advantages: from being helpful (directional derivatives) to sensible (the mean value theorem) to necessary (maxima/minima).
Genetic Approaches to Understanding Salmonella Pathogenicity

This chapter presents selected examples of how genetic approaches have been used to identify Salmonella virulence factors. The genetic approaches are based on five distinct concepts and assumptions about what might characterize Salmonella virulence genes. The identification of Salmonella-specific genes is based on the potential relationship between a pathogen-specific gene and the pathogenic phenotype. The biochemical and molecular functions of the spv gene products have remained elusive, but current speculations suggest that they may be involved in bacterial modulation of host immune cells. In summary, the comparison of Salmonella strains with nonpathogenic strains or species has been a very useful approach to the identification of virulence genes. In many cases, the subsequent identification and mutagenesis of bacterial genes involved in putative Salmonella virulence phenotypes have led to the identification of virulence genes. An alternative and more general approach has been to study in vitro systems in which Salmonella species are able to survive interaction with primary or cultured macrophages. Examination of certain noninvasive mutants in animal infection models provides strong support for the importance of bacterial entry into intestinal cells. Bacterial binding and utilization of the enterochelin-iron complex is facilitated by Chr-TonB, an outer membrane receptor. Bacterial motility and chemotaxis require 50 different genes which encode chemical sensors, physical motors, directional switches, and components of the flagellar structure, as well as specific factors which export and assemble the flagellar structure. In fact, it has been speculated that Salmonella motility and chemotaxis may be important for virulence.
Design considerations of digital fuzzy logic controllers

This paper presents an overview of the design issues for digital fuzzy logic control circuits. Digital fuzzy logic controllers (FLCs) are the most commercially successful implementations of fuzzy logic circuits to date. The origins of this success can be found in several domains, including the psychological, economical and technical ones. These are sophisticated and usually touchy problems, therefore they will not addressed in this paper. Interested readers may check a recent publication dealing with these matters [15].
Adaptive robust control of MIMO nonlinear systems with guaranteed transient performance

This paper deals with adaptive robust control of a class of multi-input multi-output (MIMO) nonlinear systems, with parametric uncertainties, unknown nonlinear functions, modelling error and external disturbances. The idea of adaptive robust control Lyapunov functions (ARCLF) is introduced to formulate a general framework of the adaptive robust control. Specific ARCLFs are sought out for different applications, including MIMO nonlinear systems with arbitrary known relative degrees transformable to a semi-strict feedback form, in which unknown parameters are also allowed to enter control channels. The method bridges the gap between adaptive control and deterministic robust control by preserving their advantages, i.e. the asymptotic stability of adaptive control in the presence of parametric uncertainties and guaranteed transient performance with prescribed precision of deterministic robust control in the presence of both parametric uncertainties and unknown nonlinear functions and, at the same time, eliminating drawbacks of each. Simulation results verify the effectiveness of the suggested method.
Type I Streptococcus pneumoniae carbohydrate utilizes a nitric oxide and MHC II-dependent pathway for antigen presentation

Some pathogenic bacteria form thick capsules that both block immune responses through inhibition of complement deposition and phagocytosis and stimulate a weak response resulting from a lack of T-cell involvement. Contrary to this model, capsular polysaccharides from 23 serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae have been successfully used in a multivalent vaccine in the absence of a carrier protein. Furthermore, type I pneumococcal polysaccharide (Sp1) has been shown to activate T cells in vivo and in vitro via an uncharacterized mechanism. In the present report, we demonstrate that Sp1 utilizes the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II pathway in antigen-presenting cells (APCs) for processing and presentation. APCs internalize and process Sp1 through a nitric oxide-dependent mechanism and, once inside the cell, it associates with MHC II proteins in an H-2M-dependent manner that leads to in vivo T-cell activation. These results establish that Sp1 activates T cells which can lead to abscess formation in mice through an H-2M-dependent polysaccharide antigen presentation pathway in APCs, potentially contributing to pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine efficacy through the recruitment of T-cell help.
The role of children's competence experiences in the socialization process: a dynamic process framework for the academic arena.

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the case that the experiences around competence (e.g., perfomance in school and perceptions of one's ability to do well in school) that children bring to their interactions with parents represent one such dimension in parent socialization of children. The chapter deals with the role of children's competences in the socialization process. Children's competence experiences may represent a central dimension of children that affects the socialization process not only in the academic arena but also in other arenas. Indeed, a general principle may be that the need for psychological Resources that children bring to their interactions with others has a significant influence in determining the course of the socialization process. This chapter focuses on the academic arena, because this is an arena in which issues of competence are particularly salient. Indeed, once children enter school, they spend a large portion of each day in activities aimed at developing their academic competencies.
What Does Tax Aggressiveness Signal? Evidence from Stock Price Reactions to News About Tax Aggressiveness

We study the stock price reaction to news about tax aggressiveness. We find that, on average, a company's stock price declines when there is news about its involvement in tax shelters, but the reaction is small relative to reactions to other corporate misdeeds. We find some limited evidence for cross-sectional variation in the reaction. For example, the stock price decline is smaller for firms that have good governance which is consistent with the idea that for these firms the news is less likely to trigger concerns about insiders' aggressiveness toward the investors themselves. The reaction is more negative for firms in the retail sector, suggesting that part of the reaction may be a consumer/taxpayer backlash. We also test whether the reaction varies with the market's perception of how tax-aggressive the firm is, using the firm's current effective tax rate as a proxy for the market's beliefs, and find mixed results. We also explore the stock price reaction to reports of current effective tax rate calculations released by Citizens for Tax Justice. We hypothesize that these reports signal tax aggressiveness without the implications for tax penalties or illegal behavior that tax shelter news carries, and therefore any market reaction represents a pure reputation effect. We find no statistically significant stock price reaction to the reports, suggesting that the negative reaction to tax shelter news is not predominantly a reputation effect. All in all, our analysis suggests that tax shelter news is viewed as a negative event by the market, although the stock price reaction is much smaller than the reaction to major accounting mishaps.
Thermodynamic and achievable efficiencies for solar-driven electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to transportation fuels

Thermodynamic, achievable, and realistic efficiency limits of solar-driven electrochemical conversion of water and carbon dioxide to fuels are investigated as functions of light-absorber composition and configuration, and catalyst composition. The maximum thermodynamic efficiency at 1-sun illumination for adiabatic electrochemical synthesis of various solar fuels is in the range of 32-42%. Single-, double-, and triple-junction light absorbers are found to be optimal for electrochemical load ranges of 0-0.9 V, 0.9-1.95 V, and 1.95-3.5 V, respectively. Achievable solar-to-fuel (STF) efficiencies are determined using ideal double- and triple-junction light absorbers and the electrochemical load curves for CO2 reduction on silver and copper cathodes, and water oxidation kinetics over iridium oxide. The maximum achievable STF efficiencies for synthesis gas (H2 and CO) and Hythane (H2 and CH4) are 18.4% and 20.3%, respectively. Whereas the realistic STF efficiency of photoelectrochemical cells (PECs) can be as low as 0.8%, tandem PECs and photovoltaic (PV)-electrolyzers can operate at 7.2% under identical operating conditions. We show that the composition and energy content of solar fuels can also be adjusted by tuning the band-gaps of triple-junction light absorbers and/or the ratio of catalyst-to-PV area, and that the synthesis of liquid products and C2H4 have high profitability indices.
Axonal guidance during embryogenesis and regeneration in the spinal cord of the newt: The blueprint hypothesis of neuronal pathway patterning

In our previous studies on studies on spinal cord regeneration in the adult lizard and the newt, we observed that the radial processes of the regenerating ependyma form between them channels which are subsequently invaded by growing neurites. In the present study we compare embryogenesis of the newt spinal cord with regeneration in the adult. Except for minor differences, we observed that the germinal neuroepithelium of the embryo and larva patterns the longitudinal neural tracts in a similar manner. With these facts in mind we propose the blueprint hypothesis which asserts that inherent in the primitive germinal neuroepithelium and its derivative primitive glia is the pattern of the primary neuronal pathways which is expressed in neurogenesis as formed channels or spaces between the processes of the epithelial cells, the surfaces of which contain trace pathways which the growing neurites follow toward their destination. The trace pathways are envisoned as mechanical-chemical itineraries which the neurities follow according to their individual affinities. The hypothesis is compared to extant theories and the limitations in central nervous regeneration of vertebrates is compared.
The Strength of Weak Interactions: Aromatic Fluorine in Drug Design

Selective aromatic fluorine substitution can increase the affinity of a molecule for a macromolecular recognition site through non-covalent interactions. These effects are evaluated most accurately by direct comparison of binding affinities of selectively fluorinated compounds with their corresponding hydrocarbons. In cases where structural data confirm similar binding geometries for the fluorocarbon and hydrocarbon analogues, reliable estimates for the impact of fluorination upon arene-pi...X and C-F...X interaction energies are possible. Existing studies show that fluorination's impact on any individual molecular interaction is quite modest. Upon binding to a protein receptor, cumulative fluorinated aromatic quadrupolar and C-F...X dipolar interaction energies rarely differ from those the corresponding hydrocarbons by more than 1.3 kcal/mol, and most individual interactions appear to be in the 0.1-0.4 kcal/mol range. Similarly, non-ideal selective fluorination is rarely associated with a dramatic decrease in affinity, because the impact of weak repulsive interactions in the bound state is counterbalanced by increased lipophilicity.
VoIP Security: Attacks and Solutions

Voice over IP (VoIP) technology is being extensively and rapidly deployed. Flexibility and cost efficiency are the key factors luring enterprises to transition to VoIP. Some security problems may surface with the widespread deployment of VoIP. This article presents an overview of VoIP systems and its security issues. First, we briefly describe basic VoIP architecture and its fundamental differences compared to PSTN. Next, basic VoIP protocols used for signaling and media transport, as well as defense mechanisms are described. Finally, current and potential VoIP attacks along with the approaches that have been adopted to counter the attacks are discussed.
Naltrexone-sensitive analgesia following exposure of mice to 2450-MHz radiofrequency radiation.

Abstract To determine whether exposure to radiofrequency radiation (RFR) would induce sufficient thermal stress to activate endogenous opioid mechanisms, male Swiss Webster mice were exposed to 10, 15, and 20 mW/cm2 RFR in a 2450-MHz waveguide system for 10 min at specific absorption rates (SARs) of 23.7, 34.6, and 45.5 W/kg, respectively, then tested in the abdominal constriction paradigm. Confinement in the RFR exposure chamber alone did not appreciably alter body temperature but did appear to induce a stress-associated analgesia that was not blocked by naltrexone. Exposure of confined mice to RFR raised body temperature and further increased analgesis in an SAR-dependent manner. The high SAR-induced analgesia, but not the hyperthermia, was blocked by naltrexone. These findings suggest that 1) RFR produces SAR-dependent hyperthermia and analgesia, and 2) RFR-induced analgesia is mediated by opioid mechanisms while confinement-induced analgesia involves nonopioid mechanisms.
Chemically Programmed Antibodies As HIV-1 Attachment Inhibitors

Herein, we describe the design and application of two small-molecule anti-HIV compounds for the creation of chemically programmed antibodies. N-Acyl-β-lactam derivatives of two previously described molecules BMS-378806 and BMS-488043 that inhibit the interaction between HIV-1 gp120 and T-cells were synthesized and used to program the binding activity of aldolase antibody 38C2. Discovery of a successful linkage site to BMS-488043 allowed for the synthesis of chemically programmed antibodies with affinity for HIV-1 gp120 and potent HIV-1 neutralization activity. Derivation of a successful conjugation strategy for this family of HIV-1 entry inhibitors enables its application in chemically programmed antibodies and vaccines and may facilitate the development of novel bispecific antibodies and topical microbicides.
On the Use of Tailored Return-Stroke Current Representations to Simplify the Analysis of Lightning Effects on Systems

Considerable siniplification is possible in the analysis of the interaction between a lightning return-stroke current and a system by selecting a return-stroke current representation whose Laplace transform has the same general form as the transform of the system transfer function.
Transparent conducting oxide development for electronics applications

We have employed both combinatorial composition spread and conventional single composition approaches to determine the relative roles of metals and oxygen stoichiometries on the opto-electronic properties of amorphous In-Zn-O (a-IZO) thin film transparent conductors. Two major results were found. First, that the optimization of conductivity in a-IZO is a coupled process with the best metals composition depending upon the oxygen content of the sputter gas. Second, that the electron mobility as a function of carrier concentration is given by a common curve for all a-IZO films independent of the metals composition.
Platelet-derived Growth Factor Stimulation of Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 Gene Expression Is Mediated by Transient Activation of the Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase Signal Transduction Pathway

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) stimulates transcription of an immediate-early gene set in Balb/c 3T3 cells. One cohort of these genes, typified by c-fos, is induced within minutes following activation of PDGF receptors. A second cohort responds to PDGF only after a significant time delay, although induction is still a primary response to receptor activation as shown by "superinduction" in the presence of the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide. PDGF-receptor activated signaling pathways for the "slow" immediate-early genes are poorly resolved. Using gain-of-function mutations together with small molecule inhibitors of kinase activity, we show that activation of PI 3-kinase is both necessary and sufficient for the induction of the prototype slow immediate-early gene, monocyte chemoattractant-1 (MCP-1). Following activation of PDGF receptors, MCP-1 mRNA does not begin to accumulate for at least 90 min. However, only a brief (10 min) interval of PI 3-kinase activity is required to trigger this delayed response. The serine/threonine protein kinase, Akt/PKB, likely functions as a downstream affector of PI 3-kinase for this induction.
The Internal Rate of Return as a Ranking Criterion

(1966). The Internal Rate of Return as a Ranking Criterion. The Engineering Economist: Vol. 11, No. 4, pp. 1-14.
PHELIX: Design and Analysis of a Transformer-Driven Liner Implosion System

To provide substantial reduction in the size and energy of high-energy-density experiments, we have designed, built, and operated a liner implosion system that is driven by a multiturn-primary, single-turn-secondary, current step-up toroidal transformer. The Precision High Energy-density Liner Implosion eXperiment (PHELIX) pulsed-power driver, which is currently under development at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, can provide >;400 kJ of capacitively stored energy and peak load currents of >;5 MA to implode centimeter-size liners in 10-20 μs, attaining speeds of 1-4 km/s. Diagnosis of scaled-down liner implosion experiments will be performed with the 800-MeV proton radiographic (pRad) system at Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE); therefore, PHELIX is designed to be portable with a footprint of only 8 ×25 ft2. The multiframe, high-resolution imaging capability of pRad will be used to study hydrodynamic and material phenomena. Experiments with scaled-down electromagnetic railguns, pulsed high-field magnets, and magnetic flux compression are also under consideration. This paper discusses the overall PHELIX design concept and layout, and details of the electromechanical design needed to ensure repeatable operation.
Acidic fruit intake in relation to incidence and progression of urinary incontinence

Introduction and hypothesis Acidic fruits are commonly cited in the lay press as potential bladder irritants that may promote urinary incontinence (UI), but no epidemiologic studies have examined this issue. We hypothesized that higher intake of acidic fruits might be related to greater risk of UI incidence and progression in women.
Reproductive patterns within sub-populations of Lytechinus variegatus (Lamarck) (Echinodermata: Echinoidea)

Abstract The annual reproductive cycle of the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus (Lamarck) was examined in individuals collected from four habitats in the Anclote estuary near Tarpon Springs, Florida. Two periods of advanced gametogenic activity were apparent, but this bimodal pattern was not necessarily reflected by gonad growth curves. Differences in reproductive events among sub-populations were related primarily to patterns of gonad growth. Reproductive synchrony present during spring became less apparent as spawning and recovery within the sub-populations took place at differential rates during late-spring and summer. The final spawnout in late summer returned the sub-populations into gametogenic synchrony.
The pragmatics of number: The evaluative properties of vivir + V[Gerund]

Abstract Several languages have grammaticalized means of expressing event plurality in the verbal domain. While some languages use affixation and reduplication to encode iterative and frequentative meanings, Spanish has periphrastic constructions formed by an auxiliary verb and a non-finite verb form that encode this type of meaning. This paper focuses on a frequentative periphrasis found in the Spanish of Bogota, vivir + V[Gerund] ‘to keep V-ing’, and analyzes its evaluative properties. I propose that the properties of vivir + V[Gerund] reflect a pragmatic principle associated more generally with expressions denoting high number. Both in the verbal and in the nominal domain, forms that denote a large and uncountable number are often associated with evaluative meanings. These plural forms do not depict a specific number of referents (events or entities). Rather, the expression of high number is used to signal a situation that deviates from a normal or sufficient quantity. This is motivated by the pragmatic enrichment of morphologically marked expressions, following Horn's principle of “Division of Pragmatic Labor” ( Horn, 1984 ). The findings have implications for the study of plurality cross-linguistically as well as for neo-Gricean theories of interpretation.
rf Residual losses, surface impedance, and granularity in superconducting cuprates.

The rf residual surface resistance Rres is a figure of merit for superconducting microwave devices and for the homogeneity of superconducting surfaces. In granular superconductors not only high Rres values but also strong field dependencies Rres(T, ω, Hrf) at rather small fields Hrf ≤ 1 Oe are observed accompanied by penetration depth changes λres(T, ω, Hrf). These observations are explained by insulating and weakly conducting weak links causing additional degrees of freedom as strip line modes and fluxoids. This causes additional interaction mechanisms with rf fields:
Topological Quantization and Cohomology

The relationships between topological charge quantization, Lagrangians and various cohomology theories are studied. A very general criterion for charge quantization is developed and applied to various physical models. The relationship between cohomology and homotopy is discussed.
Genetics and Human Malformations

Genetics gains more and more importance in all areas of health care including craniofacial surgery and dentistry. This does not mean that every patient will benefit from genetic advances, but for many health problems, we will see progress in explaining disease pathogenesis, establishing diagnosis, guiding therapy, predicting prognosis, and achieving prevention. In this report, we briefly review the roles of the PAX9, MSX1, AXIN2, and EDA genes in the causation of congenital tooth agenesis and the promise of molecular genetic research for the improvement of patient care.
On the complexity of algorithms on recursive trees

Abstract In this paper we consider three types of parameters which characterize the computational complexity of algorithms working on recursive trees. We deal with the path lengths, the degree path lengths and the mean path lengths.
Maximum-likelihood estimation applied to electron microscopic autoradiography

A new method for analysis of electron microscope autoradiographs is described which is based on the maximum-likelihood method of statistics for estimating the intensities of radioactivity in organelle structures. We adopted a Poisson statistical model to describe the autoradiographic grain distributions that we prove results from the underlying Poisson nature of the radioactive decays as well as the additive errors introduced during the formation of grains. Within the model, an interative procedure derived from the expectation-maximization algorithm of mathematical statistics is used to generate the maximum-likelihood estimates. The algorithm has the properties that at every stage of the iteration process the likelihood of the data increases; and for all initial nonzero starting points the algorithm converges to the maximum-likelihood estimates of the organelle intensities. The maximum-likelihood approach differs from the mask-analysis method, and other published quantitative algorithms in the following ways: (1) In deriving estimates of the radioactivity intensities the maximum-likelihood algorithm requires that we obtain the actual locations of the grains as well as the micrograph geometries; each micrograph is digitized so that both the grain locations as well as the geometries of the organelle structures can be used. (2) The maximum-likelihood algorithm iteratively computes the minimum-meansquared-error estimate of the underlying emission locations that resulted in the observed grain distributions, from which intensity estimates are generated; this algorithm does not minimize a chi-squared error statistic. (3) The maximum-likelihood approach is based on a Poisson model and is therefore valid for low-count experiments; there are no minimum constraints on data collection for any single organelle compartment. (4) The maximum-likelihood algorithm requires the form of the point-spread function describing the emission spread; a probability matrix based on the use of overlay masks is not required. (5) The maximum-likelihood algorithm does not change for different organelle geometries; arbitrary geometries are incorporated by maximizing the likelihood-function subject to the geometry constraints. We have performed a preliminary evaluation of the quantitative accuracy of the maximum-likelihood and mask-analysis algorithms. Based on two different phantoms in which we compared the squared error resulting from the two algorithms, we find that the new maximum-likelihood approach provides substantially improved estimates of the radioactivity intensities of the phantoms.
Asymmetric distribution of numb protein during division of the sensory organ precursor cell confers distinct fates to daughter cells.

Abstract The four cells of an external sense organ in the Drosophila peripheral nervous system, the neuron, its sheath cell, and two "outer support cells" that form the hair and socket, are derived from a common precursor, the sensory organ precursor (SOP), after two rounds of division. We determined by immunocytochemistry that numb is a membrane-associated protein which localizes asymmetrically to one-half of the predivisional SOP cell. Upon division, numb segregates differentially to one daughter. Loss of numb function causes the descendants of the SOP to differentiate inappropriately, producing four outer support cells and no neuron or sheath. Ectopic expression of numb during the time of SOP division results in a transformation that is opposite to the null mutant transformation. Thus, numb functions to determine the fates of the secondary precursors; the differential distribution of numb as the SOP divides generates an asymmetric division in which the daughter cells acquire distinct identities.
Tissue distribution of antiarrhythmic agents following percutaneous absorption: procainamide, n-acetylprocainamide, and quinidine

AbstractThe tissue distribution of procainamide (PA), n-acetylprocainamide (NAPA), and quinidine (QUIN) was investigated following percutaneous absorption as their salts in the hairless mouse as a model for human skin. After topical application of 2 mg of each compound, drug was analyzed in blood, brain, heart, liver, and lung. Both PA and QUIN were detected in at least some tissues within 1 hr. However, measurable concentrations of NAPA were not detected in any tissue until 3 hr had elapsed. The tissue distribution of each agent was evaluated for 6 hr. Hepatic concentrations were consistently the highest for all three compounds, and cardiac concentrations were relatively stable. Neither PA nor NAPA could be detected in brain at any time during the study, while QUIN was found in brain in relatively high concentrations at all hours. Percutaneous absorption of antiarrhythmic agents may provide a potentially useful and reliable route for continuous, slow administration of these drugs.
Searching for dark matter using a multiwire proportional Chamber

Abstract We have been studying the possibility of using a low pressure multiwire proportional chamber to search for recoils produced by weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), a dark matter candidate. We find this detector has a very strong signature for WIMPs and good background rejection capabilities.
Probing the Solvation Properties of Liquid versus Supercritical Fluids with Laser Flash Photolysis of W(CO)6 in the Presence of 2,2‘-Bipyridine

The ring-closure reaction of M(CO)5L−L (M = W, L−L = bipyridine) to produce M(CO)4(L−L) in nonpolar supercritical (sc) CO2/benzene mixtures was selected to investigate the repulsive (or intrinsic) part of the activation volume associated with this reaction. The activation volumes over the range between 7.5 and 24 MPa at different temperatures were higher than those in liquid benzene and liquid CO2/benzene, but much lower than those in pure sc CO2. The UV/vis spectral studies of this reaction showed that the addition of small amounts of cosolvent can increase the solubility of the ring-closure species. The kinetic traces recorded for the reaction also demonstrated this solubility enhancement.
The complete nucleotide sequence of hydrangea ringspot virus

The complete nucleotide sequence of the genome of the potexvirus, hydrangea ringspot virus, has been determined. The sequence is 6,185 nt in length, excluding the poly (A) tail, and contains six ORFs coding for proteins of 156, 26, 12, 8, 24, and 16 kDa, respectively. ORF 6 is contained within ORF 5 and in this respect the virus is similar to the potexviruses CsCMV, NMV, and SMYEV. Phylogenetic analysis of the putative products of the ORFs and signature motifs contained within these products shows the virus to be most closely related to CsCMV. A similar analysis of data for the coat proteins of potexviruses did not support the previously reported serological relationships between HdRSV and other potexviruses. This is the first complete sequence published for the genome of a potexvirus infecting a dicotyledonous, temperate, deciduous woody species.