cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Roles of peer specialists and use of mental health services among youth with serious mental illness.

AIM To examine whether roles of peer specialists affect service use among Black, Latinx and White youth ages 16-24 with serious mental illness (SMI) in Los Angeles and San Diego Counties. METHODS Administrative data from 2015 to 2018 was used to summarize service use among 6329 transition age youth age 16-24 with SMI who received services from 76 outpatient public mental health programs with peer specialists on staff. Roles of peer specialists were assessed via a program survey. Generalized linear models were used to assess the relationship between peer specialist characteristics and service use outcomes (ie, outpatient and inpatient). RESULTS Having a transition age youth peer specialist on staff (vs older peer specialists) and having peer specialists that provide four or more services (vs fewer services) was associated with an increase in annual outpatient visits in both counties (P = <.001 each). In Los Angeles County, having three or more peer specialist trainings (vs fewer trainings) was associated with lower use of inpatient services (P < .001). In San Diego County, having a transition age youth peer specialist and peer specialists that provide four or more services was associated with lower use of inpatient services (P < .001 each). CONCLUSIONS Types of peer support and number of types of peer services were associated with mental health service utilization. Detailed examination of the roles of peer specialists is merited to identify the specific pathways that improve outcomes.
Trauma Affects Prospective Relationships Between Reward-Related Ventral Striatal and Amygdala Activation and 1-Year Future Hypo/Mania Trajectories.

Abstract Background Trauma exposure is associated with a more severe, persistent course of affective and anxiety symptoms. Markers of reward neural circuitry function, specifically activation to reward prediction error (RPE), are impacted by trauma and predict the future course of affective symptoms. This study’s purpose was to determine how lifetime trauma exposure influences relationships between reward neural circuitry function and the course of future affective and anxiety symptoms in a naturalistic, transdiagnostic observational context. Methods A total of 59 young adults aged 18–25 (48 female and 11 male participants, mean ± SD = 21.5 ± 2.0 years) experiencing psychological distress completed the study. Participants were evaluated at baseline, 6, and 12 months. At baseline, the participants reported lifetime trauma events and completed a monetary reward functional magnetic resonance imaging task. Affective and anxiety symptoms were reported at each visit, and trajectories were calculated using MPlus. Neural activation during RPE and other phases of reward processing were determined using SPM8. Trauma and reward neural activation were entered as predictors of symptom trajectories. Results Trauma exposure moderated prospective relationships between left ventral striatum (β = −1.29, p = .02) and right amygdala (β = 0.58, p = .04) activation to RPE and future hypo/mania severity trajectory: the interaction between greater trauma and greater left ventral striatum activation to RPE was associated with a shallower increase in hypo/mania severity, whereas the interaction between greater trauma and greater right amygdala activation to RPE was associated with increasing hypo/mania severity. Conclusions Trauma exposure affects prospective relationships between markers of reward circuitry function and affective symptom trajectories. Evaluating trauma exposure is thus crucial in naturalistic and treatment studies aiming to identify neural predictors of future affective symptom course.
A role for the Cockayne Syndrome B (CSB)-Elongin ubiquitin ligase complex in signal-dependent RNA polymerase II transcription

The Elongin complex was originally identified as an RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) elongation factor and subsequently as the substrate recognition component of a Cullin-RING E3 ubiquitin ligase. More recent evidence indicates that the Elongin ubiquitin ligase assembles with the Cockayne syndrome B helicase (CSB) in response to DNA damage and can target stalled polymerases for ubiquitylation and removal from the genome. In this report, we present evidence that the CSB-Elongin ubiquitin ligase pathway has roles beyond the DNA damage response in the activation of RNAPII-mediated transcription. We observed that assembly of the CSB-Elongin ubiquitin ligase is induced not just by DNA damage, but also by a variety of signals that activate RNAPII-mediated transcription, including endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, amino acid starvation, retinoic acid, glucocorticoids, and doxycycline treatment of cells carrying several copies of a doxycycline-inducible reporter. Using glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-regulated genes as a model, we showed that glucocorticoid-induced transcription is accompanied by rapid recruitment of CSB and the Elongin ubiquitin ligase to target genes in a step that depends upon the presence of transcribing RNAPII on those genes. Consistent with the idea that the CSB-Elongin pathway plays a direct role in GR-regulated transcription, mouse cells lacking the Elongin subunit Elongin A exhibit delays in both RNAPII accumulation on and dismissal from target genes following glucocorticoid addition and withdrawal, respectively. Taken together, our findings bring to light a new role for the CSB-Elongin pathway in RNAPII-mediated transcription.
Spectral goodness-of-fit tests for complete and partial network data.

Networks describe the, often complex, relationships between individual actors. In this work, we address the question of how to determine whether a parametric model, such as a stochastic block model or latent space model, fits a dataset well and will extrapolate to similar data. We use recent results in random matrix theory to derive a general goodness-of-fit test for dyadic data. We show that our method, when applied to a specific model of interest, provides an straightforward, computationally fast way of selecting parameters in a number of commonly used network models. For example, we show how to select the dimension of the latent space in latent space models. Unlike other network goodness-of-fit methods, our general approach does not require simulating from a candidate parametric model, which can be cumbersome with large graphs, and eliminates the need to choose a particular set of statistics on the graph for comparison. It also allows us to perform goodness-of-fit tests on partial network data, such as Aggregated Relational Data. We show with simulations that our method performs well in many situations of interest. We analyze several empirically relevant networks and show that our method leads to improved community detection algorithms. R code to implement our method is available on Github.
Cardiac Morphogenesis: Crowding and Tension Resolved through Social Distancing.

Organ maturation entails the reshaping of simple tissues into more complex structures critical for function. In a recent issue of Nature, Priya et al. show how tension heterogeneity between developing cardiomyocytes can coordinate the cell behaviors that remodel the architecture of the cardiac chamber wall.
Hurricane flooding and acute gastrointestinal illness in North Carolina.

Abstract Hurricanes often flood homes and industries, spreading pathogens. Contact with pathogen-contaminated water can result in diarrhea, vomiting, and/or nausea, known collectively as acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI). Hurricanes Matthew and Florence caused record-breaking flooding in North Carolina (NC) in October 2016 and September 2018, respectively. To examine the relationship between hurricane flooding and AGI in NC, we first calculated the percent of each ZIP code flooded after Hurricanes Matthew and Florence. Rates of all-cause AGI emergency department (ED) visits were calculated from NC's ED surveillance system data. Using controlled interrupted time series, we compared AGI ED visit rates during the three weeks after each hurricane in ZIP codes with a third or more of their area flooded to the predicted rates had these hurricanes not occurred, based on AGI 2016–2019 ED trends, and controlling for AGI ED visit rates in unflooded areas. We examined alternative case definitions (bacterial AGI) and effect measure modification by race and age. We observed an 11% increase (rate ratio (RR): 1.11, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.23) in AGI ED visit rates after Hurricanes Matthew and Florence. This effect was particularly strong among American Indian patients and patients aged 65 years and older after Florence and elevated among Black patients for both hurricanes. Florence's effect was more consistent than Matthew's effect, possibly because little rain preceded Florence and heavy rain preceded Matthew. When restricted to bacterial AGI, we found an 85% (RR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.37, 2.34) increase in AGI ED visit rate after Florence, but no increase after Matthew. Hurricane flooding is associated with an increase in AGI ED visit rate, although the strength of effect may depend on total storm rainfall or antecedent rainfall. American Indians and Black people—historically pushed to less desirable, flood-prone land—may be at higher risk for AGI after storms.
Examination of the hdrRM regulon yields insight into the competence system of Streptococcus mutans

Previous studies have identified the hdrRM operon as a novel regulatory system induced by conditions of high cell density. Little is known about the genes under the control of this system, but a variety of important phenotypes are associated with either hdrR overexpression or mutation of hdrM. To characterize the regulatory function of the HdrRM system in Streptococcus mutans we used a microarray approach to compare the transcriptional profiles of an hdrR overexpression strain with an hdrM mutant. Both strains exhibited almost identical profiles, which included all of the known late competence genes as well as a variety of competence-induced bacteriocins. Through a combination of real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), reporter gene analysis and random amplification of complementary DNA ends PCR, we confirmed the role of comX as a central intermediate regulator of numerous genes in the hdrRM regulon. Through these studies, we also identified novel comX-regulated genes required for natural competence. Taken together, our results suggest that the primary function of the HdrRM system is to regulate the late competence genes together with various bacteriocins. This occurs independently of the ComCDE system, even though both systems regulate nearly identical genes. This suggests that S. mutans has multiple parallel input sensory systems that control the same output response: the induction of natural competence and concurrent production of bacteriocins.
On-chip body posture detection for medical care applications using low-cost CMOS cameras

A low-complexity algorithm for the computation of the geometrical moments of binary images has been developed and implemented on the limited CPU and RAM resources available in current low-cost on-chip CMOS cameras. This moment-based approach can be used to find the position and orientation of objects in the image plane, which has a wide range of applications from networked embedded robotics to the medical care field. In medical care applications it is envisioned that camera systems with on-chip processing algorithms, such as the one described in this paper, can be used to determine the posture of a human body, e.g. standing or lying down. By processing only binary images on the camera chip and then transmitting numbers related to the geometrical moments, security and privacy concerns can be taken care using simple procedures. It is expected that this type of camera systems will work in conjunction with a wireless body area network (WBAN) that measures vital signs. The final goal is to provide cost effective and timely information to the medical personnel responsible for the care of the patients.
Practices to Reduce Surgical Site Infections Among Women Undergoing Cesarean Section: A Review

OBJECTIVE Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among women undergoing cesarean section (C-section), a common procedure in North America. While risk factors for SSI are often modifiable, wide variation in clinical practice exists. With this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the results and quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses on interventions to reduce surgical site infections among women undergoing C-section. METHODS We searched PubMed and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for systematic reviews and meta-analyses published between January 2000 and May 2014 on interventions to reduce the occurrence of SSIs (incisional infections and endometritis), among women undergoing C-section. We extracted data on the interventions, outcomes, and strength of evidence as determined by the original article authors, and assessed the quality of each article based on a modified Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews tool. RESULTS A total of 30 review articles met inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Among these articles, 77 distinct interventions were evaluated: 29% were supported with strong evidence as assessed by the original article authors, and 83% of the reviews articles were classified as good quality based on our assessment. Ten interventions were classified as being effective in reducing SSI with strong evidence in a good-quality article, including preoperative vaginal cleansing, the use of perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis, and several surgical techniques. CONCLUSION Efforts to reduce SSI rates among women undergoing C-section should include interventions such as preoperative vaginal cleansing and the use of perioperative antibiotics because compelling evidence exists to support their effectiveness. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2015;36(8):915–921
Large aperture aluminum alloy telescope mirrors.

Large aperture Al alloy telescope mirrors consisting of Tenzalloy Al coated with Ni alloy, presenting performance data
Lessons for the United States from countries adapting to the consequences of aging populations

The aging of the global population is unrivaled in human history. As a result of this demographic transition, developed and developing nations are facing new challenges regarding provision of health and long-term care, economic security programs, and changing informal support structures for elders. This paper is based on a review of the relevant research and policy literature. The paper reports on trends in nine countries that are responding to the consequences of an aging population and presents major lessons for policy makers in the United States.
Dogwood Borer (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) Infestation of Horned Oak Galls

Pin oak, Quercus palustris Muenchhausen, is the primary host for the gall wasp Callirhytis cornigera (Osten Sacken). Woody stem galls formed by C. cornigera may be infested by the dogwood borer, Synanthedon scitula (Harris), an important pest of flowering dogwood, Cornus florida L. Previous research has shown that S. scitula has a bimodal seasonal flight pattern, with peaks in late spring and midsummer. We tested the hypothesis that moths emerging from dogwoods largely account for the first flight pulse, whereas emergence from stem galls contributes disproportionately to the second pulse. Seasonal flight activity of S. scitula was monitored with pheromone traps baited with Z,Z-3,13-octadecadien-1-ol acetate. Traps were hung near plantings of dogwoods in suburban landscapes or near heavily galled pin oaks. Borer emergence from dogwood was monitored by sampling infested trees for pupal exuviae, and from galls that were collected and held in outdoor rearing cages. The impact of S. scitula on C. cornigera larvae was assessed by weighing, measuring, and dissecting galls. Flight activity of S. scitula began on 5 May and ended on 13 October 1999, with peaks in late May and in late July to early August. The flight pattern was similar for the two types of trapping sites, and moths emerged from both hosts during both flight periods. Proportionately more moths emerged from dogwoods during the first flight pulse than during the second, but emergence from galls was nearly evenly divided between the two flight peaks. We therefore reject the hypothesis that emergence of borers from galls contributes disproportionately to the second flight period. Approximately 12–15% of stem galls (2–3 yr old) contained S. scitula larvae. Feeding and tunneling by borers contributed to gall desiccation and reduced horn development, but rarely killed C. cornigera larvae. This study has implications for management of S. scitula because borers emerging from horned oak galls may represent a threat to dogwood.
Effect of Hfq on RprA−rpoS mRNA Pairing: Hfq−RNA Binding and the Influence of the 5′ rpoS mRNA Leader Region†

The rpoS mRNA encodes a stress response transcription factor in Escherichia coli. It is one of a growing number of mRNAs found to be regulated by small RNAs (sRNA). Translation initiation of rpoS mRNA is enhanced by two sRNAs, DsrA and RprA, that pair to the same site near the rpoS start codon in the presence of the Hfq protein. In this work, we examine the interaction of E. coli Hfq with RprA and two portions of the rpoS mRNA leader region. One rpoS RNA, rpoS-L, contained the entire 565-nucleotide leader region, while the other, rpoS-S, contained the 199-nucleotide sequence surrounding the start codon. An RNase H assay indicated both rpoS RNAs have similar secondary structures in the translation initiation region. Hfq formed two complexes with RprA in a gel mobility assay with binding parameters similar to values previously determined for DsrA. Unlike DsrA, Hfq binding to RprA was inhibited by poly(A) and influenced by Hfq mutations on both the distal and proximal surfaces. Hfq increased the level of RprA binding to both rpoS RNAs but showed a much larger enhancement when rpoS-L, the entire leader region, was examined. The lower affinity of RprA for rpoS-L versus rpoS-S in the absence of Hfq suggests that Hfq overcomes an inhibitory structure within rpoS-L in stimulating RprA binding. Similar results were obtained with DsrA. The results indicate that the full upstream leader sequence of rpoS mRNA influences Hfq-facilitated annealing of RprA and DsrA and is likely to be involved in its regulation.
Cardiac pacemaker: In vitro assessment at 1.5 T

Background In vitro testing is used to determine safe parameters before performing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on a patient with an implant. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate a cardiac pacemaker using a 1.5-T magnetic resonance (MR) system. Methods A modern cardiac pacemaker (INSIGNIA I PLUS, Model 1298, and FINELINE II, Model 4471, pacing leads; Guidant Corporation, St Paul, MN) was evaluated for magnetic field interactions at 1.5 T. Magnetic resonance imaging–related heating was assessed using 3 different 1.5-T scanners operating at various levels of radio-frequency power and imaging conditions. Functional aspects of the pacemaker were evaluated immediately before and after MRI (9 different pulse sequences). Artifacts were also characterized. Results Magnetic field interactions for the pacemaker were minor. Temperature changes measured in vitro were at levels that are not expected to pose a risk for specific MR conditions ( Conclusion The findings indicated that this pacemaker exhibited acceptable safety features relative to the use of a 1.5-T MR system. If induced currents do not occur for this device, it may be safe for a patient to undergo MRI by following specific conditions. The results are specific to the pacemaker tested, the MR systems, and conditions used in this evaluation.
Effect of soil anaerobiosis on photosynthesis of Capsicum annuum L.

Abstract Effects of short-term flooding on stomatal conductance and net photosynthesis of Capsicum annuum L. plants were studied under controlled-environment conditions. Flooding of soil induced significant stomatal closure and decline in net photosynthesis. Average diurnal stomatal conductance declined from 145 to 78 mmol H2O m−2 s−1 during the 1st day and to 18 mmol H2O m−2 s−1 during the 2nd day of flooding, while average diurnal net photosynthesis was reduced from 7.5 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1 to 7.0 and 5.8 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1 during the 1st and 2nd day of flooding, respectively. Low levels of stomatal conductance and net photosynthesis continued throughout the entire experiment, and average daily net photosynthesis fell substantially during the 4th day of flooding. The recovery of stomatal conductance and net photosynthesis during the 3 days following termination of flooding was relatively slow. Rapid stomatal closure and declines in net photosynthesis, coupled with slow recovery, are important factors contributing to the intolerance of Capsicum plants to flooding.
The work function of sputter‐formed Re‐1% Pd

High‐rate sputter deposition has been used to make free‐standing ribbons of Re‐1% Pt alloy. Changes in the work function and surface composition of the alloy as a function of temperature are reported. Segregation of Pt to the surface was accompanied by a decrease in work function indicating electron transfer from Pt to Re. When the Pt‐to‐Re ratio at the surface reached 0.26, the work function of the alloy was 1.44 eV below that of a pure Re reference ribbon. Analysis of the work function change as a function of surface concentration of Pt on the Topping model yielded values of 7.1×10−30 C m and 19.4 A3 for the dipole moment and polarizability, respectively, of surface Pt atoms. Electron transfer from Pt to Re is opposite to that expected on the basis of published values of electronegativity and is interpreted as indicating significant exchange of 5d electrons in the alloy.
Guidelines for the Isolation and Characterization of Murine Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells. A Report from the International Society of Cardiovascular Translational Research

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) play important roles in cardiovascular disorders and biology. Outlined in this paper is a step-by-step procedure for isolating aortic VSMCs from adult C57BL6J male mice by enzymatic digestion of the aorta using collagenase. The plating, culturing, and subculturing of the isolated cells are discussed in detail along with techniques to characterize VSMC phenotype by gene expression and immunofluorescence. Traction force microscopy was used to characterize contractility of single subcultured VSMCs at baseline.
High-yield production, purification and characterization of functional human duodenal cytochrome b in an Escherichia coli system

Human duodenal cytochrome b (Dcytb) is a transmembrane hemoprotein found in the duodenal brush border membrane and in erythrocytes. Dcytb has been linked to uptake of dietary iron and to ascorbate recycling in erythrocytes. Detailed biophysical and biochemical characterization of Dcytb has been limited by difficulties in expressing sufficient amounts of functional recombinant protein in yeast and insect cell systems. We have developed an E. coli Rosetta-gami B(DE3) cell system for production of recombinant His-tagged human Dcytb with a yield of ~26 mg of purified, ascorbate-reducible cytochrome per liter of culture. The recombinant protein is readily solubilized with n-dodecyl-β-D-maltoside and purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by one-step chromatography on cobalt affinity resin. The purified recombinant Dcytb has a heme to protein ratio very close to the theoretical value of two and retains functional reactivity with ascorbate, as assessed by spectroscopic and kinetic measurements. Ascorbate showed a marked kinetic selectivity for the high-potential heme center over the low-potential heme center in purified Dcytb. This new E. coli expression system for Dcytb offers ~7-fold improvement in yield and other substantial advantages over existing expression systems for reliable production of functional Dcytb at levels suitable for biochemical, biophysical and structural characterization.
A longitudinal study on the effect of nifedipine therapy and its discontinuation on [Ca2+]i and proliferation of B lymphocytes of dialysis patients

The abnormalities in cytosolic calcium ([Ca2+]i) and proliferation of B cells in uremic patients are significantly improved by treatment with nifedipine. The rapidity with which this agent induces its beneficial effect and whether these derangements reemerge after cessation of therapy are not known. We studied six hemodialysis patients before, during, and after treatment with nifedipine. Before treatment, [Ca2+]i of B cells was markedly elevated (125 +/- 4.3 nmol/L) and their proliferation markedly reduced (5.2 +/- 0.36 x 10(3) cpm). After 1 month of therapy, [Ca2+]i fell significantly (P < 0.01) to 95 +/- 1.7 nmol/L and to a normal value of 84 +/- 1.6 after 2 months. The levels of [Ca2+]i rose significantly (P < 0.01) to 95 +/- 2.3 nmol/L after 1 month of cessation of therapy and were 115 +/- 2.8 nmol/L by 2 months. Proliferation of B cells improved significantly (P < 0.01) after 1 month of therapy (9.4 +/- 1.1 x 10(3) cpm) with further improvement during the subsequent month, reaching a normal value (12.2 +/- 1.1 x 10(3) cpm) by the end of the 2 months. Proliferation of B cells decreased after cessation of therapy and was 5.2 +/- 0.17 x 10(3) cpm after 2 months, a value similar to the pretreatment level. The blunted inhibitory effect of PTH-(1-84) on B cell proliferation was reversed by nifedipine treatment and reappeared after discontinuation of therapy. Also, serum globulin levels increased after administration of nifedipine and decreased again after cessation of treatment. The results show that nifedipine rapidly reversed the elevation in [Ca2+]i of B cells, the impairment in their proliferation, and the blunted inhibitory effect of PTH on B cell proliferation, and was associated with increased serum globulin levels. These derangements reemerged after cessation of therapy. These data indicate that nifedipine therapy is effective in the management of the abnormalities in B cell metabolism and function in hemodialysis patients. The treatment with this drug must be maintained to sustain its beneficial effects. Other calcium channel blockers may also be effective, but their effects were not examined in the current study.
Initial Strain Relaxation in S0.91Ge0.09/Si Superlattice Structures via Misfit-Dislocations

We addressed the initial strain relaxation of symmetric 95 A period Si 0.91 Ge 0.09 /Si heterostructures grown by ultra-high vacuum chemical vapor deposition on vicinal substrates miscut 2.04° from (001) in a direction 36° from a [110]. Double-axis x-ray topography revealed misfit-dislocation sources in the as-grown samples with an average density of about 60 cm −2 , although the distribution of these sites was not homogeneous. The progression of dislocation nucleation and growth was observed during subsequent rapid thermal annealing (800°C, 20s-320s). Physical heterogeneities were identified as dislocation sources, and they gave rise to orthogonal misfit dislocation bundles, which on a macroscopic scale resemble crosses. Upon longer annealing, a more homogeneous distribution of defects was observed without measurable relaxation. These original defects did propagate; however, they did not spur a cross-slip multiplication sequence.
Implementation and effectiveness of the first community lifestyle intervention programme to prevent Type 2 diabetes in Greece. The DE-PLAN study.

Diabet. Med. 27, 459–465 (2010) Abstract Aims To report our experience of implementing the first community-based lifestyle intervention programme to detect high-risk individuals and prevent the development of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a general population sample in Athens, Greece (the DE-PLAN Study). Methods The Finnish Type 2 Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC) questionnaire was distributed to 7900 people at workplaces and primary-care centres. High-risk individuals were invited to receive an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and, after excluding persons with diabetes, to participate in a 1-year intervention programme, based on bimonthly sessions with a dietitian. Results Three thousand, two hundred and forty questionnaires were returned; 620 high-risk individuals were identified and 191 agreed to participate. Recruitment from workplaces was the most successful strategy for identifying high-risk persons, enrolling and maintaining them throughout the study. The 125 participants who fully completed the programme (66 did not return for a second OGTT) lost on average 1.0 ± 4.7 kg (P = 0.022). Higher adherence to the intervention sessions resulted in more significant weight loss (1.1 ± 4.8 vs. 0.6 ± 4.6 kg for low adherence). Persons with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and/or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) at baseline lost more weight than those with normal glucose tolerance (1.5 ± 4.8 vs. −0.2 ± 4.5 kg). The percentage of people with any type of dysglycaemia (IFG/IGT) was lower after the intervention (68.0% at baseline vs. 53.6% 1 year later, P = 0.009); 5.6% developed diabetes. Conclusions The implementation of a lifestyle intervention programme to prevent T2DM in the community is practical and feasible, accompanied by favourable lifestyle changes. Recruitment from workplaces was the most successful strategy.
Excitatory backward conditioning in an appetitive conditioned reinforcement preparation with rats

Four experiments were conducted to examine appetitive backward conditioning in a conditioned reinforcement preparation. In all experiments, off-line classical conditioning was conducted following lever-press training on two levers. Presentations of a sucrose solution by a liquid dipper served as an unconditioned stimulus (US) and two auditory stimuli served as conditioned stimuli (CSs); one was paired with the US in either a forward (Experiment 1a) or a backward (Experiments 1b, 2, and 3) relationship, and the other served as a control CS, which was not paired with the US. In testing, each lever-press response produced a presentation of one of the CSs instead of appetitive reinforcers. The response to a lever was facilitated, compared to the response to another lever, when the response produced the backward CS presentation as well as when it produced the forward CS presentation; that is, the backward CS served as an excitatory conditioned reinforcer.
Auditory Perception of Speech Contrasts by Subjects with Sensorineural Hearing Loss

The goal of these studies was to find out how much of the acoustical information in amplified speech is accessible to children with varying degrees of sensorineural hearing loss. Context-varying, f...
Efp: A ring of independence?

Breast cancer patients who respond to tamoxifen and other estrogen-antagonizing drugs can succumb to disease when cancer growth becomes independent of the hormone. One protein, Efp, that might have a role in estrogen independence has now been linked to proteolytic events in the cell cycle.
Multi-layer Lanczos iteration approach to calculations of vibrational energies and dipole transition intensities for polyatomic molecules

We report a rigorous full dimensional quantum dynamics algorithm, the multi-layer Lanczos method, for computing vibrational energies and dipole transition intensities of polyatomic molecules without any dynamics approximation. The multi-layer Lanczos method is developed by using a few advanced techniques including the guided spectral transform Lanczos method, multi-layer Lanczos iteration approach, recursive residue generation method, and dipole-wavefunction contraction. The quantum molecular Hamiltonian at the total angular momentum J = 0 is represented in a set of orthogonal polyspherical coordinates so that the large amplitude motions of vibrations are naturally described. In particular, the algorithm is general and problem-independent. An application is illustrated by calculating the infrared vibrational dipole transition spectrum of CH4 based on the ab initio T8 potential energy surface of Schwenke and Partridge [Spectrochimica Acta, Part A 57, 887 (2001)] and the low-order truncated ab initio dipole moment surfaces of Yurchenko et al. [J. Mol. Spectrosc. 291, 69 (2013)]. A comparison with experiments is made. The algorithm is also applicable for Raman polarizability active spectra.
Mussolini and the rise of Fascism, by Donald Sassoon

Mussolini and the rise of Fascism, by Donald Sassoon, London, HarperPress, 2008, 187 pp., £14.99 (hardback), ISBN 978-0-0071-9242-7 Donald Sassoon's marvellous little book opens with a chapter that...
High-Resolution Urban Image Classification Using Extended Features

High-resolution image classification poses several challenges because the typical object size is much larger than the pixel resolution. Any given pixel (spectral features at that location) by itself is not a good indicator of the object it belongs to without looking at the broader spatial footprint. Therefore most modern machine learning approaches that are based on per-pixel spectral features are not very effective in high-resolution urban image classification. One way to overcome this problem is to extract features that exploit spatial contextual information. In this study, we evaluated several features including edge density, texture, and morphology. Several machine learning schemes were tested on the features extracted from a very high-resolution remote sensing image and results were presented.
Social foraging and the behavioral ecology of intragroup resource transfers

Two chimpanzees stalk, isolate, and kill a red colobus monkey. An attendant primatologist notes that parts of the prey are relinquished selectively to onlooking scroungers (Fig. 1). A human forager returns to camp mid-afternoon with a freshly killed, medium-sized ungulate. Later in the day, an ethnographer observes that shared portions of the animal have found their way into the cooking pots of most or all of those in the small band. Examining a prehistoric scatter of food residues, an ethnoarcheologist wonders when early hominids began to scrounge or share food, and with what consequences for our evolution. All of these settings represent one problem: the analysis of intragroup resource transfers among social foragers. New studies in the behavioral ecology of transfers show them to be more commonplace in nature, more complicated and variable, and more subject to comparative analysis than has been appreciated.
The effect of human recombinant interleukin-2 on the porcine immune response to a pseudorabies virus subunit vaccine

The effect of human recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) as an immune enhancing agent was evaluated in pigs vaccinated with a pseudorabies virus subunit vaccine (SV). Two groups of three pigs received two 25 micrograms doses of SV given 3 weeks apart. One group received 10(5) kg-1 day-1 of rIL-2 subcutaneously over two 5-day periods beginning on the day of the first and second vaccine inoculation. Six other pigs were immunized with two 5 micrograms doses of SV. Three of these pigs were treated as above with rIL-2. The effect of treatment was evaluated by comparing: the humoral response; the cell-mediated immune (CMI) response as measured by lymphocyte blastogenesis before and after virus challenge; and the weight response and virus excretion pattern after challenge with virulent pseudorabies virus (PRV). The humoral antibody response as detected by the serum virus neutralization (SN) assay and the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was consistently higher in rIL-2 treated pigs than in non-treated pigs. These differences were significant (P less than 0.05) among high vaccine dose pigs prior to virus challenge when measured by the SN assay and during the anamnestic response period between days 3 and 10 after challenge when measured by both the SN assay and the ELISA. No differences were detected between treatment groups in the weight response, virus excretion pattern or the CMI response. These results suggest that human rIL-2 may have enhanced the immune response of pigs to the subunit vaccine.
Interestrous intervals in cows after unilateral ovariectomy at estrus to prevent corpus luteum development

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to answer the question: What happens to the estrous cyclicity pattern of cows if ovulation and subsequent corpus luteum (CL) development are prevented by removing the ovary containing the largest follicle during estrus? In Experiment 1, the mean interestrous interval of the first estrous cycle after this procedure was 5.6 ± 0.6 days for 10 cows (one outlier of 2.5 d and one cow that ovulated from the remaining ovary were excluded) versus a 21.0 day mean for control cycles in the same cows. In Experiment 2, the same unilateral ovariectomy procedure was done but the effect of its timing was tested by performing the procedure before (n = 7 cows) or after (n = 5 cows) the anticipated luteinizing hormone (LH) surge at a prostaglandin-controlled estrus. Intervals to estrus (6.1 vs. 5.8 d) or to its LH surge (5.8 vs. 5.8 d) did not differ between these groups. Two cows treated before the LH surge that developed follicular cysts and one cow treated after the LH surge that ovulated from the remaining ovary were excluded. Therefore, the time required for cows to return to estrus from this controlled baseline point (unilateral ovariectomy at estrus of the ovary with the ovulatory follicle) was highly predictable (5.8 ± 0.6, n = 19), and the ovulatory mechanism, including magnitude of the LH surge, recovered in most cows despite the short interestrous interval.
Neuroscience: a local route to pain relief.

Local anaesthetics stop pain, but block all other sensations too. In rats, one molecular delivery vehicle makes an unusual local anaesthetic specific for pain — provided a little spice is added to the mix first. The snag with most local anaesthetics is their lack of specificity. They are lipophilic, so can enter virtually any neuron, where they indiscriminately block sodium channels in the membrane. A way of blocking the activity of specific pain-sensing neurons without affecting other sensory or motor neurons could be used to create a more targeted form of local anaesthesia, and that is the prospect held out by Binshtok et al. in this issue. They report that the lidocaine derivative QX-314 can be targeted to pain-sensing neurons. Normally QX-314 can't cross the cell membrane. But antipain specificity is ensured by allowing it to enter via the TRPV1 channel, a capsaicin receptor found only in pain-sensing neurons. Co-application of QX-314 and capsaicin in rats blocked mechanical and thermal pain, inducing local anaesthesia, without the paralysis seen in 'normal' lidocaine anaesthesia.
High-energy asymptotic behavior of the dipole-oscillator-strength density and a new "modified" dipole-oscillator-strength sum rule for nonrelativistic N -electron atoms and molecules

The high-energy asymptotic behavior of the oscillator-strength distribution of nonrelativistic $N$-electron atoms and molecules is examined. A derivation is presented which leads to the coefficients of the first two asymptotic terms of the oscillator-strength density in terms of expectation values of the wave function. Furthermore, it is shown that truncating the contribution of these first two terms beyond some cutoff energy leads to a sum rule for the third moment of the resulting modified distribution. Numerical calculations have been performed on atomic hydrogen which illustrate the sum rule for the third moment of the modified distribution.
Infrared matrix isolation and theoretical study of the initial intermediates in the reaction of ozone with cis-2-butene.

Matrix isolation studies combined with infrared spectroscopy of the twin jet codeposition of ozone and cis-2-butene into argon matrices have led to the first observation of several early intermedia...
Identification of the registration of a deformable mirror to a Schack Hartmann wavefront sensor in an adaptive optical system

A method for determining the registration of an adaptive optical system is presented. Three deformable mirror actuators are sinusoidally driven at a high rate and the resulting gradients are measured using a Hartmann sensor. The gradient measurements are used to determine the translational, rotational, and magnificational registration of the deformable mirror relative to the Hartmann wavefront sensor. Two configurations are presented. The first is not effected by the compensation system but requires the use of auxiliary beams outside the clear aperture of the adaptive optical system. In the second configuration, the dithering actuators are within the clear aperture of the adaptive optical system. Simulation results are presented that show that the method can be used reliably in either configuration. In the second configuration, the method can be used reliably even in the presence of residual amplitude and phase aberrations.
Antibacterial Action of Anacardic Acids against Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

The structural and antibacterial activity relationship of 6-alk(en)ylsalicylic acids, also known as anacardic acids, was investigated against Gram-positive bacteria, emphasizing the methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 33591 (MRSA) strain. The unsaturation in the alkyl side chain is not essential in eliciting activity but is associated with increasing the activity. The antibacterial activity of methicillin against MRSA strains was significantly enhanced in combination with C(12:0)-anacardic acid, and the fractional inhibitory concentration index for this combination was calculated as 0.281. It appears that biophysical disruption of the membrane (surfactant property) is due to the primary response to their antibacterial activity, while biochemical mechanisms are little involved. The compounds possessing the similar log P values exhibit similar activity.
Memory-guided obstacle crossing: more failures were observed for the trail limb versus lead limb

During adaptive locomotion, vision is used to guide the lead limb; however, the individual must rely on knowledge of obstacle height and position, termed obstacle memory, to guide the trail limb. Previous research has demonstrated that visual sampling of the obstacle during approach was adequate to provide obstacle height information, but online visual update of distance to the obstacle was required to plan and implement appropriate foot placement. Our purpose was to determine whether obstacle height memory, coupled with a visible obstacle position cue, could successfully guide the foot during obstacle crossing. Subjects first stepped over an obstacle for 25 trials; then, the obstacle was removed, but its position was marked with high-contrast tape; subjects were instructed to step over the obstacle as if it was still there (termed “virtual obstacle”) for 25 trials. No changes in foot placement were observed; therefore, the position cue provided salient online information to guide foot placement. Average failure rates (subject would have contacted the virtual obstacle if it was present) were 9 and 47 % (lead and trail limb, respectively). Therefore, action was impaired for both limbs when guided by obstacle height memory, but action was impaired to a greater extent for the trail limb. Therefore, viewing the obstacle during approach appears to facilitate the memory needed to guide obstacle crossing, particularly for the trail limb. This is likely because the lead limb is visible in the peripheral visual field during crossing, but the trail limb is not.
Chemical Bonding and Physical Interaction by Attached Chains at the Fiber-Matrix Interface

Abstract Molecular chains with different chemical structures were attached to the surface of aramid engineering fiber, and their effect on the fiber's adhesion to epoxy matrix was measured. Adhesive performance increases up to 65% were achieved, depending on the structure of the attached chains. Increases were attributed to chemical bonding between the terminal reactive group of the chain and the epoxide molecule used in the matrix, and to a length-related physical interaction between the chain and epoxy matrix.
Processivity of the Gene 41 DNA Helicase at the Bacteriophage T4 DNA Replication Fork

The gene 41 protein is the DNA helicase associated with the bacteriophage T4 DNA replication fork. This protein is a major component of the primosome, being essential for coordinated leading and lagging strand DNA synthesis. Models suggest that such DNA helicases are loaded only onto DNA at origins of replication, and that they remain with the ensuing replication fork until replication is terminated. To test this idea, we have measured the extent of processivity of the 41 protein in the context of an in vitro DNA replication system composed of eight purified proteins (the gene 43, 44/62, 45, 32, 41, 59, and 61 proteins). After starting DNA replication in the presence of these proteins, we diluted the 41 helicase enough to prevent any association of new helicase molecules and analyzed the replication products. We measured an association half-life of 11 min, revealing that the 41 protein is processive enough to finish replicating the entire 169-kilobase T4 genome at the observed replication rate of approximately 400 nucleotides/s. This processivity of the 41 protein does not require the 59 protein, the protein that catalyzes 41 protein assembly onto 32 protein-covered single-stranded DNA. The stability we measure for the 41 protein as part of the replication fork is greater than estimated for it alone on single-stranded DNA. We suggest that the 41 protein interacts with the polymerase holoenzyme at the fork, both stabilizing the other protein components and being stabilized thereby.
Immunoglobulin allotypes of Kenyan olive baboons: Troop frequencies, linkage disequilibria, and comparisons with other studies

Sera from a total of 564 olive baboons collected at six different localities in west central Kenya were examined for the presence of cross-reactive immunoglobulin allotypes with reagents used for human sera. Serum samples were tested for Km (1 and 3), Glm (1–3 and 17), andG3m (5, 6, 10, 11, 13–16, 21, 24, and 26). Polymorphism was found for Glm (1 and 17) and G3m (10, 13, and 15). These findings on antigen presence, absence, and polymorphism show broad similarities to, along with some differences from, previous studies of baboons. Our data support the view that there are variations in allotype frequencies between troops at single localities, as well as differences among geographically separated areas. Linkage disequilibria for Gm allotypes differ in strength and direction among the various local Kenya olive baboon populations.
WE‐E‐304A‐05: Acoustic Droplet Vaporization for Enhancement of High Intensity Focused Ultrasound Thermal Ablation

Purpose: Acoustic dropletvaporization (ADV) shows promise for the spatial control and acceleration of thermal lesion production. In this study, we investigated the hypothesis that ADV bubbles can substantially enhance HIFU ablation by increasing and controlling local energy absorption.Method and Materials: HIFU/ADV phantoms were made of polyacrylamide, egg white, degassed water and lipid‐coated perfluoropentane droplets (1.8 μm mean dia.). These egg white‐based phantoms (acoustic attenuation of 0.3 dB/cm at 1.44 MHz) were optically transparent, which allowed direct visualization of lesion formation during HIFU application. Phantoms were exposed in degassed water at 37°C to a focused ultrasound (1.44 MHz) with a focal intensity of 2000 W/cm2. Lesion volumes were measured by fluid displacement or T2 weighted MR imaging.Results: For 2‐s HIFU exposure on droplet‐containing phantoms (n = 5), apparent opacity changes were observed consistently, while no lesions were found in phantoms without droplets (n = 8). It was noted that the volume of the lesion with 2‐second HIFU exposure in droplet‐containing phantoms was comparable to that made by 5‐s exposure in the phantom without droplets. Lesion volumes (5‐s exposure) measured by MR imaging were found to be 45.5±5.5 (n=8), 102.5±13.5 (n=5), and 288.0±50.1μL (n=8) in phantoms of 0, 104, 105 droplets/mL, respectively. Conclusion: The presence of ADV bubbles reduced the acoustic energy for comparably sized lesion and increasing the speed of HIFU lesion formation. Our findings may address the pre‐focal heating problem in traditional HIFU ablation.