cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Midazolam fails to prevent neurological damage in children with convulsive refractory febrile status epilepticus.

Abstract Background We conducted a retrospective study to compare the outcome of intravenous midazolam infusion without electroencephalography or targeted temperature management and barbiturate coma therapy with electroencephalography and targeted temperature management for treating convulsive refractory febrile status epilepticus. Patients Of 49 consecutive convulsive refractory febrile status epilepticus patients admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit of our hospital, 29 were excluded because they received other treatments or because of various underlying illnesses. Thus, eight patients were treated with midazolam and 10 with barbiturate coma therapy using thiamylal. Midazolam-treated patients were intubated only when necessary, whereas barbiturate coma therapy patients were routinely intubated. Continuous electroencephalography monitoring was utilized only for the barbiturate coma group. The titration goal for anesthesia was clinical termination of status epilepticus in the midazolam group and suppression or burst-suppression patterns on electroencephalography in the barbiturate coma group. Normothermia was maintained using blankets and neuromuscular blockade in the barbiturate coma group and using antipyretics in the midazolam group. Prognoses were measured at 1 month after onset; children were classified into poor and good outcome groups. Results Good outcome was achieved in all the barbiturate coma group patients and 50% of the midazolam group patients ( P = 0.02, Fisher's exact test). Conclusions Although the sample size was small and our study could not determine which protocol element is essential for the neurological outcome, the findings suggest that clinical seizure control using midazolam without continuous electroencephalography monitoring or targeted temperature management is insufficient in preventing neurological damage in children with convulsive refractory febrile status epilepticus.
Musical emotions: functions, origins, evolution

Theories of music origins and the role of musical emotions in the mind are reviewed. Most existing theories contradict each other, and cannot explain mechanisms or roles of musical emotions in workings of the mind, nor evolutionary reasons for music origins. Music seems to be an enigma. Nevertheless, a synthesis of cognitive science and mathematical models of the mind has been proposed describing a fundamental role of music in the functioning and evolution of the mind, consciousness, and cultures. The review considers ancient theories of music as well as contemporary theories advanced by leading authors in this field. It addresses one hypothesis that promises to unify the field and proposes a theory of musical origin based on a fundamental role of music in cognition and evolution of consciousness and culture. We consider a split in the vocalizations of proto-humans into two types: one less emotional and more concretely-semantic, evolving into language, and the other preserving emotional connections along with semantic ambiguity, evolving into music. The proposed hypothesis departs from other theories in considering specific mechanisms of the mind-brain, which required the evolution of music parallel with the evolution of cultures and languages. Arguments are reviewed that the evolution of language toward becoming the semantically powerful tool of today required emancipation from emotional encumbrances. The opposite, no less powerful mechanisms required a compensatory evolution of music toward more differentiated and refined emotionality. The need for refined music in the process of cultural evolution is grounded in fundamental mechanisms of the mind. This is why today's human mind and cultures cannot exist without today's music. The reviewed hypothesis gives a basis for future analysis of why different evolutionary paths of languages were paralleled by different evolutionary paths of music. Approaches toward experimental verification of this hypothesis in psychological and neuroimaging research are reviewed.
Dietary calcium and collagen crosslinking in osteoporotic bone

The collagen crosslinking in cortical rib biopsies was determined before and after 90 days of treatment with dietary calcium and an anabolic steroid (Durabolin) in two osteoporotic women with differing subjective symptoms. Bone biopsy samples were reduced with 3H-sodium borohydride and the collagen crosslinks determined by radiochromatographic analysis. The crosslinks observed initially in Patient A were indicative of poor mineralization, but after treatment the crosslink pattern implied a decreased rate of bone resorption. Patient B exhibited biochemical changes which indicated decreased resorption after treatment, but only minor changes in the reducible compounds of collagen were observed. The changes in bone collagen crosslinking appear to be an adaptive response induced by the extent of the biochemical changes related to calcium homeostasis.
The human infrastructure of cyberinfrastructure

Despite their rapid proliferation, there has been little examination of the coordination and social practices of cyberinfrastructure projects. We use the notion of "human infrastructure" to explore how human and organizational arrangements share properties with technological infrastructures. We conducted an 18-month ethnographic study of a large-scale distributed biomedical cyberinfrastructure project and discovered that human infrastructure is shaped by a combination of both new and traditional team and organizational structures. Our data calls into question a focus on distributed teams as the means for accomplishing distributed work and we argue for using human infrastructure as an alternative perspective for understanding how distributed collaboration is accomplished in big science.
The Association Between Phencyclidine Use and Partner Violence: An Initial Examination

The association between phencyclidine (PCP) use and violent behavior is unclear. The current investigation evaluated the association between PCP addiction and intimate partner violence, a specific violent behavior, using the substance abuse evaluations of 109 PCP, 81 cannabis, and 97 polysubstance (alcohol and cannabis) abusing offenders. Relative to both comparison groups, PCP users were more likely to receive inpatient referrals, have a significant legal history, and have perpetrated past-year general and intimate partner violence. Data suggest that PCP use may be associated with greater violence perpetration than cannabis use alone or in conjunction with problematic alcohol use.
Effect of storage temperature and wrapping on quality characteristics of litchi fruit

Abstract The post-harvest changes in two litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) cultivars ‘Hei Ye’ and ‘Chen Zi’ were studied. Fruit was stored in a paper bag or a closed polyethylene bag at 22 or 2° C. ‘Hei Ye’ pericarp browning was reduced by storage at 22° C in a closed polyethylene bag. Storage at 2° C delayed the onset of pericarp browning, but decay became a problem 20 days after harvest. There was a continued decline in respiration rate after harvest with no ethylene being detected, and a decline in titratable acidity associated with changes in malic acid content. Ascorbic acid declined in storage from 1 to 0.4 mg g−1 in 4 days at 22° C, irrespective of storage method or temperature. Ascorbic acid changes in ‘Chen Zi’ were more marked than in ‘Hei Ye’, declining from 1.2 to 0.2 mg g−1 at 22° C after 8 days. Both cultivars showed similar qualitative changes in total soluble solids, titratable acidity and ascorbic acid content. Low-temperature storage decreased the rate and extent of changes. Storage in a polyethylene bag delayed the onset of pericarp browning at both storage temperatures. However, pericarp browning did not significantly affect aril quality as measured by sugar, acids and phenol parameters. There was a decline in total soluble solids from 18.5 to 15.5% in 8 days at 22° C due to a decrease in the amount of sucrose. There was no pattern to the minor changes in glucose and fructose content.
Library-Press Collaborations: A Study Taken on Behalf of the University of Arizona

BACKGROUND The University of Arizona Press moved under the University of Arizona Library both physically and administratively a few years ago, echoing a trend amongst university presses: 20 AAUP members now are under the administration of university libraries. To understand the new evolving relationships in scholarly communication, a review of university press and library collaborations was undertaken by the University of Arizona Press and the University of Arizona Library through the Association of Research Libraries Career Enhancement Program (ARL CEP). LITERATURE REVIEW There has been much written throughout the years on both the acrimonious and collaborative relationships between university presses and academic libraries. Much of the literature includes either editorials or case studies, with one or two major reviews of scholarly communications and the state of publishing. DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT During the course of nine weeks, the ARL CEP Fellow reviewed existing literature, interviewed staff at the University of Arizona Press and Library, and conducted 27 informal interviews with library deans, press directors, and scholarly communications leaders. The interviews addressed the partnership history, structure, motivations, goals and needs, administrative support and budget decisions, key stakeholders, and thoughts on the future of their relationships as well as scholarly communications. Then University of Arizona Library and Press staff were interviewed regarding their perceptions of their roles and each other’s roles. NEXT STEPS This research report includes findings from the literature review and interviews as well as specific recommendations for the University of Arizona that will be implemented to improve and build relationships going forward.
The role of IL-4 in regulation of murine collagen-induced arthritis.

Abstract Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) is a murine model of autoimmune-mediated polyarthritis. CIA can be prevented by the administration (intravenously) of CII, inducing regulatory CD4+ T cells which produce Th2 cytokines. However, the relative importance of IL-4 in suppressing arthritis remains unclear. To address this question, a neutralizing monoclonal antibody to IL-4 was given to mice treated with tolerized, CII-specific cells. The antibody significantly reversed the expected suppression of arthritis. Moreover, CII administered intravenously to DBA/1 IL4−/− mice (developed by backcrossing C57B1/6 IL4−/− to wild-type DBA/1 mice) was completely ineffective in suppressing disease. These data support the importance of IL-4 in the regulation of autoimmune arthritis. Compensatory increases in mRNA message for other Th2 cytokines were observed, but they did not restore suppression of arthritis. Antibodies to CII, mostly IgG2a, were increased in IL4−/− mice. These studies represent a unique opportunity to analyze the role of IL-4 and its absence on an autoimmune murine model of arthritis.
Activation of neutrophil respiratory burst by fungal particles requires phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate binding to p40phox in humans but not in mice

To the editor: Null mutations in leukocyte NADPH oxidase subunits gp91 phox , p22 phox , p67 phox and p47 phox are associated with a loss of superoxide-generating enzyme activity on both plasma and phagosomal membranes in chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) patients and CGD mouse models. In
Topographical and chemical characterization of polymer surfaces modified by physical and chemical processes

Nanoscale changes to the surface of polymeric materials enables changes in materials' adhesion, wettability, printability, chemical functionality, and bioactivity, while maintaining desirable bulk properties. Polymer surface modification is therefore used in applications such as antimicrobial or non-fouling materials, biosensors, and active packaging. The range of available modification and analytical techniques used across laboratories prevents accurate comparison of techniques in terms of their effects on surface chemistry and topography. It was therefore our goal to evaluate the effects of four surface modification techniques (chromic acid, piranha solution, ultraviolet irradiation, and oxygen plasma) on polyethylene films. Changes in surface chemistry and topography were quantified using attenuated total reflectance (ATR) Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), contact angle measurement, and direct measurement of available surface carboxylic acids. Roughness increased in the order: piranha (57.7 nm); oxygen plasma (76.3 nm); UV irradiation (76.4 nm); chromic acid (120 nm). Hydrophobicity decreased in the order: piranha (77.20), chromic acid (73.50), oxygen plasma (61.70), UV irradiation (58.70). Functionalization (by IR absorbance intensity between 1680–1780 cm−1) increased in the order: oxygen plasma (0.06), piranha (0.09), chromic acid (0.34), UV irradiation (0.50). By analyzing these methods using consistent analytical techniques, side-by-side comparisons have been accurately made. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011
Long-term effectiveness of the continuous and the sectional archwire techniques in leveling the curve of Spee

Introduction: The correction of a deep overbite with the subsequent achievement of long-term stability is a difficult problem for orthodontists. The role of leveling the curve of Spee (COS) in bite opening and the success of orthodontic treatment has been well documented in the literature. The aim of this study was to investigate whether leveling the COS, by using 2 orthodontic treatment techniques, produces stable results on a long-term basis. Methods: We compared the long-term stability of leveling the COS with the straight-wire Alexander technique and the bioprogressive sectional-arch technique. The randomly selected subjects for this retrospective study were obtained from the private practices of Drs R. G. Alexander and Ruel Bench. Study models taken 2 months before treatment (T1), 2 months after treatment (T2), and after retention (T3) were evaluated. Measurements of the COS were made on the mandibular casts with a commercially available palatometer. Mandibular intercanine width, overbite, overjet, mandibular incisor irregularity, and mandibular arch length were also recorded. Results and Conclusions: Both techniques produced highly significant reductions in the COS (T1 to T2). Statistically significant, but clinically insignificant, postretention relapse of the COS occurred (T2 to T3). For both techniques, a statistically significant difference was seen in the incidence of the relapse of the COS between patients who were completely leveled posttreatment and those who were not. We did not find a correlation between pretreatment COS and relapse in any of the other occlusal traits studied.
Comparison of functional domains in vertebrate-type ferredoxins.

The vertebrate-type Cys 4 Fe 2 S 2 ferredoxins are a class of small acidic proteins that typically act as electron shuttles between NAD(P)H-dependent reductases and monoxygenases, particularly cytochromes P450. Nuclear magnetic resonance assignments and detailed analysis of nuclear Overhauser effects permit the direct comparison of the functional C-terminal domains of three vertebrate-type ferredoxins, the mammalian adrenodoxin (Adx) and the bacterial ferredoxins putidaredoxin (Pdx) and terpredoxin (Tdx). In particular, homologous hydrogen-bonding networks involving a conserved basic residue (His 49 in Pdx, His 56 in Adx, Arg 49 in Tdx) are detailed. This hydrogen bond network appears to play a role in the mechanical transmission of redox-dependent conformational and dynamic changes from the iron-sulfur binding loop to the C-terminal domain. Hydrogen/deuterium exchange measurements have been made in Adx as a function of oxidation state for comparison with previous studies of Pdx and Tdx. The results of these measurements highlight the importance of the conserved basic residue in the linkage between oxidation state and protein dynamics. Finally, a series of mutations have been made in the C-terminal domain of Pdx, including one, Y51F. that disrupts the proposed hydrogen-bonding network without perturbing steric and hydrophobic interactions in the functional domain. Although the mutant is considerably destabilized with respect to wild-type Pdx, relatively unperturbed chemical shifts for residues near the site of the mutation and NOEs between water and Phe 51 suggest that the network is reconstituted with a solvent water in place of the tyrosine hydroxyl group in this mutant.
Thirty-two-year ocean–atmosphere coupled downscaling of global reanalysis over the Intra-American Seas

This study examines the oceanic and atmospheric variability over the Intra-American Seas (IAS) from a 32-year integration of a 15-km coupled regional climate model consisting of the Regional Spectral Model (RSM) for the atmosphere and the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) for the ocean. It is forced at the lateral boundaries by National Centers for Environmental Prediction-Department of Energy (NCEP-DOE R-2) atmospheric global reanalysis and Simplified Ocean Data Assimilation global oceanic reanalysis. This coupled downscaling integration is a free run without any heat flux correction and is referred as the Regional Ocean–Atmosphere coupled downscaling of global Reanalysis over the Intra-American Seas (ROARS). The paper examines the fidelity of ROARS with respect to independent observations that are both satellite based and in situ. In order to provide a perspective on the fidelity of the ROARS simulation, we also compare it with the Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR), a modern global ocean–atmosphere reanalysis product. Our analysis reveals that ROARS exhibits reasonable climatology and interannual variability over the IAS region, with climatological SST errors less than 1 °C except along the coastlines. The anomaly correlation of the monthly SST and precipitation anomalies in ROARS are well over 0.5 over the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, Western Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Oceans. A highlight of the ROARS simulation is its resolution of the loop current and the episodic eddy events off of it. This is rather poorly simulated in the CFSR. This is also reflected in the simulated, albeit, higher variance of the sea surface height in ROARS and the lack of any variability in the sea surface height of the CFSR over the IAS. However the anomaly correlations of the monthly heat content anomalies of ROARS are comparatively lower, especially over the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. This is a result of ROARS exhibiting a bias of underestimation (overestimation) of high (low) clouds. ROARS like CFSR is also able to capture the Caribbean Low Level Jet and its seasonal variability reasonably well.
Achieving cost savings with innovative welding and examination techniques

Abstract In an effort to maximize quality and production in both field and shop fabrication while minimizing cost, Fluor has assessed new and innovative welding and examination technologies. Welding applications, power sources, arc transfer modes, and shielding gas mixtures using various semi-automatic processes were compared. The strategies for the selection of these welding variables, as well as the successful application of a modified short-circuiting gas metal arc welding process to carbon, alloy, and stainless steels are discussed. The optimized process combination can achieve three times the deposition rate and one-tenth of the repair rate commonly obtained with traditional processes. In weldment examinations, a modified phased array ultrasonic technique is presented. As an alternate for radiography, phased array technology allows for 10 times lower inspection times and lends itself to an ideal weld-and-check methodology. Additional cost savings and further, productivity improvements have been achieved by combining these novel welding and examination techniques. This technology has demonstrated itself with a supporting track record on several major construction projects in North America.
Derivatives of eigenvalues and eigenvectors of a general complex matrix

A survey of methods for sensitivity analysis of the algebraic eigenvalue problem for non-Hermitian matrices is presented. In addition, a modification of one method based on a better normalizing condition is proposed. Methods are classified as Direct or Adjoint and are evaluated for efficiency. Operation counts are presented in terms of matrix size, number of design variables and number of eigenvalues and eigenvectors of interest. The effect of the sparsity of the matrix and its derivatives is also considered, and typical solution times are given. General guidelines are established for the selection of the most efficient method.
Progress in the United States programme to develop low activation structural materials for fusion

It has long been recognized that attainment of the safety and environmental potential of fusion energy requires the successful development of low activation materials for the first wall, blanket and other high heat flux structural components. Only a limited number of materials potentially possess the physical, mechanical and low activation characteristics required for this application. The current US structural materials research effort is focused on three candidate materials: advanced ferritic steels, vanadium alloys and silicon carbide composites. Recent progress has been made in understanding the response of these materials to neutron irradiation.
Harry A. Fozzard, MD 1931–2014

Dr Harry A. Fozzard, Otho S.A. Sprague Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus in the Department of Medicine at the University of Chicago and former editor-in-chief of Circulation Research , passed away in his sleep on December 9, 2014 at the age of 83. Dr Fozzard’s career and life reflected the emergence and evolution of cardiac electrophysiology as research and clinical disciplines. It is remarkable to reflect on the advances that have occurred in cardiac electrophysiology and the interwoven role Fozzard played in those advances.1 Dr Fozzard attended medical school at Washington University in St. Louis where he had the good fortune of having his first serious research experience in the laboratory of Earl Sutherland, a future Nobel Prize winner for the discovery of adenylyl cyclase and cAMP as a second messenger system. This triggered Fozzard’s interest in the cell membrane and associated signaling pathways. He subsequently did his internship at Yale University before serving in the US Navy Medical Corps. He returned to Washington University where he completed his internal medicine residency and cardiology training. Dr Fozzard’s research on membrane proteins initially focused on the Na/K ATAPase which resulted in …
On the Mechanisms of α-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic Acid (AMPA) Receptor Binding to Glutamate and Kainate

The α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) subtype of ionotropic glutamate receptors mediates much of the fast excitatory neurotransmission in the central nervous system. The ability of these receptors to shape such responses appears to be due in part to dynamic processes induced by agonists in the ligand-binding domain. Previous studies employing fluorescence spectroscopy and whole cell recording suggest that agonist binding is followed by sequential transitions to one or more distinct conformational states. Here, we used hydrogen-deuterium exchange to determine the mechanisms of binding of glutamate and kainate (full and partial agonists, respectively) to a soluble ligand-binding domain of GluR2. Our results provide a structural basis for sequential state models of agonist binding and the free energy changes of the associated state-to-state transitions. For glutamate, a multi-equilibrium binding reaction was discerned involving distinct ligand docking, domain isomerization, and lobe-locking steps. In contrast, kainate binding involves a simpler dock-isomerization process in which the isomerization equilibrium is shifted dramatically toward open domain conformations. In light of increasing evidence that the stability, in addition to the extent, of domain closure is a critical component of the channel activation mechanism, the differences in domain opening and closing equilibria detected for glutamate and kainate should be useful structural measures for interpreting the markedly different current responses evoked by these agonists.
The use of lung function tests in identifying factors that affect lung growth and aging

Lung function tests are used both clinically, in assessing disease, and epidemiologically, in identifying those factors which influence the growth and aging process of the lungs. The user must beware of several common pitfalls in the use of these tests, however. First, the commonly used tests of lung function can only identify patterns of dysfunction, not specific pathologic processes. Second, these tests are subject to many sources of intra- and inter-subject variability, making it difficult to dissect out the signal (for example, the rate of lung aging in adults) from the noise which may greatly exceed the signal. Finally, the analysis of longitudinal pulmonary function data is complicated by the alinearity of the growth and aging process, missing data, variable follow-up times, information censoring mechanisms and covariate processes, and problems in defining abnormality.
Substratum relationships of some tropical Pacific intertidal gastropods

Among tropical Indo-West Pacific herbivorous intertidal gastropods, high intertidal neritids, and limpets and certain lower intertidal limpets are restricted to a narrow range of substratum types. Littorinids, planaxids, low intertidal neritids, most lower intertidal limpets, and the trochid Monodonta labio tolerate a wide variety of substrata. This pattern of substratum specialization is related to the overall adaptive strategies of the various groups: those with a large area of soft tissue in contact with the substratum (neritids and limpets) often specialize to a particular substratum, especially at high shore levels, while those in which the area of contact between animal and substratum is small do not. High intertidal neritids and limpets able to live on a wide range of substrata tend to be species of limited geographic distribution. It is concluded that, even within a tropically similar group of animals (raspers in this case) relevant dimensions of niche separation depend upon the structure of the environment as well as upon the structure of the animals themselves.
Eigenmode-based method to determine the complex permittivities of layered soil via a borehole ground penetrating radar

Borehole ground penetrating radar systems probe at varying depths below the surface to determine soil properties and search for anomalies. Current detection approaches use time of flight estimations or tomography to determine the properties of the soil. These methods use the inaccurate assumption that the signal propagates in a straight direct path from transmitter to receiver in layered soil media. We propose a novel eigenmode method, similar to dielectric waveguide analysis, to estimate soil layer boundaries, permittivity, and conductivity, taking into account the true propagation of waves in layered medium.
Maximizing receiver misalignment tolerance in a hybrid wireless system

In this work, we investigate possible designs for a free-space infrared optical receiver for use in a hybrid optical-RF network with airborne platforms. Due to the relative instability of the platforms compared to traditional building placements, the receiver must possess much greater tolerance to misalignment with respect to the receiver. The limited size and payload of the airborne platforms restricts the design process. We present the results of both experimental and theoretical studies of a range of receiver designs, including single lens receivers with fiber bundles for light collection and multiple lens receivers with bundles coupled to each lens. The results show that the combination of a short focal length lens coupled to a bundle constructed from large core fibers provides the best tolerance to both angular and transverse misalignment. This result, combined with the need to collect light from a relatively large area to meet link budgets, favors a design comprised of multiple lenses of shorter focal length and smaller size, with a small bundle coupled to each lens.
Resuspension of Bottom Sediments in Lake Ontario During the Unstratified Period, 1992–1993

Time-series measurements of current velocity and water temperature made at a station in southwestern Lake Ontario between October 1992 and June 1993 are combined with analyses of material collected in a sequencing sediment trap moored at the same location. The results show that local resuspension of bottom material occurred several times during November and December. Analyses of total PCBs and Mirex concentrations were used to infer the origins of the material collected in the traps. Material collected during the fall has multiples sources; in addition to material already in suspension and bottom material resuspended from the immediate area, some material appears to be derived from the Niagara River delta. This is the first reported instance of bottom resuspension in the Great Lakes at depths below wave base during the unstratified period that has been confirmed by current velocity measurements.
Characterization of Streptokinases from Group A Streptococci Reveals a Strong Functional Relationship That Supports the Coinheritance of Plasminogen-binding M Protein and Cluster 2b Streptokinase

Group A streptococcus (GAS) strains secrete the protein streptokinase (SK), which functions by activating host human plasminogen (hPg) to plasmin (hPm), thus providing a proteolytic framework for invasive GAS strains. The types of SK secreted by GAS have been grouped into two clusters (SK1 and SK2) and one subcluster (SK2a and SK2b). SKs from cluster 1 (SK1) and cluster 2b (SK2b) display significant evolutionary and functional differences, and attempts to relate these properties to GAS skin or pharynx tropism and invasiveness are of great interest. In this study, using four purified SKs from each cluster, new relationships between plasminogen-binding group A streptococcal M (PAM) protein and SK2b have been revealed. All SK1 proteins efficiently activated hPg, whereas all subclass SK2b proteins only weakly activated hPg in the absence of PAM. Surface plasmon resonance studies revealed that the lower affinity of SK2b to hPg served as the basis for the attenuated activation of hPg by SK2b. Binding of hPg to either human fibrinogen (hFg) or PAM greatly enhanced activation of hPg by SK2b but minimally influenced the already effective activation of hPg by SK1. Activation of hPg in the presence of GAS cells containing PAM demonstrated that PAM is the only factor on the surface of SK2b-expressing cells that enabled the direct activation of hPg by SK2b. As the binding of hPg to PAM is necessary for hPg activation by SK2b, this dependence explains the coinherant relationship between PAM and SK2b and the ability of these particular strains to generate the proteolytic activity that disrupts the innate barriers that limit invasiveness.
Detection and quantitation of Solenopsis invicta virus-2 genomic and intermediary replicating viral RNA in fire ant workers and larvae

Quantitative real-time PCR (QPCR) was used to quantify the genome of Solenopsis invicta virus-2 (SINV-2) from infected individual ants of S. invicta. Strand-specific cDNA synthesis oligonucleotide primers and RNase digestion after cDNA synthesis allowed quantification of plus (genomic) and minus (replicative) strands of the SINV-2 genome. Both strands were detected in adult workers and larval fire ants indicating that the virus was replicating within the ant. The differences between the genomic to replicative strand ranged from 199-fold in larvae to 479-fold in workers with an average ratio of 339:1.
A quantitative description of excitatory amino acid neurotransmitter responses on cultured embryonic Xenopus spinal neurons

We have performed a quantitative analysis of excitatory amino acid neurotransmitter receptors on cultured embryonic Xenopus spinal neurons using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Neuroblasts and underlying mesodermal cells isolated from spinal regions of neural plate-stage embryos were placed into dissociated cell culture, and responses were studied soon after the appearance of neurites on embryonic neurons. Glutamate (Glu) receptors were separated into two general classes based on responses to the characteristic agonists quisqualate (Quis), kainate (Ka) and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA); these were NMDA receptors (those activated by NMDA) and non-NMDA receptors (those activated by Ka and Quis). Half-maximal responses to Glu and other agonists on NMDA and non-NMDA receptors were determined from Hill analysis of dose response relations. The order of sensitivities observed was: GluNMDA (ED50 = 5.1 microM) greater than Glunon-NMDA (ED50 = 28 microM), and for Glu receptor agonists, Quis (ED50 = 1.5 microM) greater than NMDA (ED50 = 41 microM) greater than Ka (ED50 = 58 microM). The order of response amplitudes recorded at concentrations near the appropriate ED50s was GluNMDA greater than Glunon-NMDA, and Ka greater than NMDA greater than Quis. A 10-fold decrease in external [Na+] shifted the reversal potentials for Glunon-NMDA, Ka, and Quis to more negative voltages. Increasing external [Ca2+] shifted the reversal potential for NMDA responses to more positive potentials, an observation consistent with Ca2+ permeation of the embryonic NMDA-activated channel. NMDA-evoked currents could not be recorded in nominally glycine (Gly)-free media. Addition of Gly to external solutions potentiated NMDA responses (ED50 = 644 nM). NMDA responses were blocked by DL-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (APV; ED50 = 1.9 microM) and by Mg2+ at negative potentials. In their sensitivities to agonists and antagonists, and ionic dependences, amino acid neurotransmitter responses on embryonic Xenopus neurons closely resembled those previously observed for mature Xenopus and mammalian central neurons. The GluNMDA receptors present on these immature neurons were sufficiently sensitive to be activated by endogenous concentrations of extracellular Glu, suggesting a possible role for receptor activation in modulating early neural development.
Surface electrochemistry of carbon monoxide adsorbed from electrolytic solutions at single crystal surfaces of Pt(111) and Pt(100)

Abstract Single scan voltammetry of carbon monoxide adsorbed on in situ produced Pt(111) and Pt(100) surfaces was systematically examined. The reactivity of the surface-bound CO depends strongly on the crystallographic orientation of the Pt surface: at 5 mV/s the oxidation has a 40 mV advantage on Pt(111) as compared with Pt(100), the peak width is smaller on Pt(100), and the coverage dependence of peak position and morphology are different for the two surfaces. On the other hand, no potential dependence of CO oxidation was observed, which sheds some new light on the properties of the practically significant polycrystalline platinum electrode. The voltammetric behavior of the Pt(111)-CO system correlates well with the terminal and bridge CO occupancy determined by gas phase work. Similar analysis carried out for Pt(100) indicates partial reconstruction of the surface covered by submonolayer quantities of carbon monoxide. The quality of the single crystal surfaces of platinum prepared by the non-UHV method is discussed.
Partial characterization of a growth-inhibiting protein in 3T3 cell plasma membranes.

Abstract A plasma membrane-enriched fraction from 3T3 cells has been detergent-solubilized, and the supernatant of this solubilization was reconstituted into liposomes using soybean lecithin. When these vesicles were added to actively growing cells, cell growth rates were inhibited to levels that were comparable to those observed with the original plasma membranes (at least 50% of maximum growth rates). Liposomes without proteins, or liposomes containing proteins from SV3T3 plasma membranes did not significantly inhibit growth of 3T3 cells. Treatment of the reconstituted vesicles with urea or high concentrations of salt did not eliminate the growth-inhibiting properties of these reconstituted membranes. These results indicate that the specific growth-inhibiting factor in 3T3 cell plasma membranes is a membrane protein that has significant non-polar interactions with the membrane bilayer.
THE ROLE OF CT PERFUSION IMAGING IN ACUTE STROKE DIAGNOSIS: A LARGE SINGLE-CENTER EXPERIENCE

The objective of this study was to determine the utility of computed tomography perfusion (CTP) scans in diagnosing acute ischemic stroke (AIS). CTP abnormalities in two contiguous supratentorial levels were correlated with diffusion weighted image (DWI) abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging (the standard for stroke diagnosis) performed within 1 week in 422 suspected acute ischemic strokes. Of 157 AIS confirmed by DWI, 78 showed CTP abnormalities (sensitivity 49.7%). All of these examinations were performed with a mean of 35 min from the initial emergency department neurological examination. Excluding small non-vascular territory strokes left 77 AIS with a total volume of infarcted tissue of more than 5 cc by DWI. Of these, 71 showed CTP abnormalities (sensitivity 92.2%). Of the 265 patients without AIS, none showed CTP abnormalities (specificity 100%). CTP is a rapid, readily available and effective method of diagnosing AIS in clinical practice, particularly the major intracranial vessel strokes that result in a more devastating outcome.
Modeling the elastic properties of concrete composites: Experiment, differential effective medium theory, and numerical simulation

Concrete is a mixture of cement, water and aggregates. In terms of microstructure, besides the cement paste matrix and aggregate inclusions, there is a third phase, which is called the interfacial transition zone (ITZ), which forms due to the wall effect and can be thought of as a thin shell that randomly forms around each aggregate. Thus, concrete can be viewed as a bulk paste matrix containing composite inclusions. To compute the elastic properties of a concrete composite, a differential effective medium theory (D-EMT) is used in this study by assigning elastic moduli to corresponding bulk paste matrix, ITZ and aggregate. In this special D-EMT, each aggregate particle, surrounded by a shell of ITZ of uniform thickness and properties, is mapped onto an effective particle with uniform elastic moduli. The resulting simpler composite, with a bulk paste matrix, is then treated by the usual D-EMT. This study shows that to assure the accuracy of the D-EMT calculation, it is important to consider the increase in the water:cement mass ratio (w/c) of the ITZ and the corresponding decrease in w/c ratio of the bulk matrix. Because of this difference in w/c ratio, the contrast of elastic moduli between the ITZ and the bulk paste matrix needs to be considered as a function of hydration age. The Virtual Cement and Concrete Testing Laboratory (VCCTL) cement hydration module is used to simulate the microstructure of cement paste both inside and outside the ITZ. The redistribution of calcium hydroxide between ITZ and bulk paste regions can further affect the elastic contrast between ITZ and bulk paste. The elastic properties of these two regions are computed with a finite element technique and used as input into the D-EMT calculation. The D-EMT predictions of the elastic properties of concrete composites are compared with the results measured directly with a resonant frequency method on corresponding composites. This comparison shows that the D-EMT predictions agree well with experimental measurements of the elastic properties of a variety of concrete mixtures.
Exchange systems, matchings, and transversals

Abstract The present paper is concerned with a combinatorial structure called an exchange system. It is shown how a relation between two sets induces via matchings certain exchange systems. Applications to transversal theory are indicated, and necessary and sufficient conditions are given for a family of sets to have a transversal if some subfamily consisting of all but a finite number of the sets has a transversal.
‘What can a crowd do?’: revisiting Tarde after the demise of the public

Until now, Gabriel Tarde's essay ‘The Public and the Crowd’ was partially inaccessible to Anglophone scholars, as Terry Clark's 1969 translation – the only version in English – omitted nearly half the essay. As a result, the essay is typically understood as a diatribe against the primitive, uncivilized crowd, cast as the diametrical opponent of an eminently reasonable and thoroughly modern public. The pages that follow correct this lapse by providing the remaining portions of Tarde's essay in English. As will become clear, this translation reveals that Tarde was no champion of modernity, nor did he consistently celebrate the ascendant public's conquest of the savage crowd. In the process, the translation casts doubt upon rigidly ideological readings of Tarde, while lending support to a more politically ambivalent interpretation of his ideas. In its most open-ended moments, the newly translated segments recall Tarde's early affirmative statements about crowds and are suggestive of clear continuities throug...
Fingerprinting of glacial silt in lake sediments yields continuous records of alpine glaciation (35-15 ka), western USA

Fingerprinting glacial silt in last glacial-age sediments from Upper Klamath Lake (UKL) and Bear Lake (BL) provides continuous radiocarbon-dated records of glaciation for the southeastern Cascade Range and northwestern Uinta Mountains, respectively. Comparing of these records to cosmogenic exposure ages from moraines suggests that variations in glacial flour largely reflect glacial extent. The two areas are at similar latitudes and yield similar records of glacial growth and recession, even though UKL lies less than 200 km from the ocean and BL is in the continental interior. As sea level began to fall prior to the global Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), existing glaciers in the UKL area expanded. Near the beginning of the global LGM (26.5 ka), the BL record indicates onset of glaciation and UKL-area glaciers underwent further expansion. Both records indicate that local glaciers reached their maximum extents near the end of the global LGM, remained near their maxima for ~ 1000 yr, and underwent two stages of retreat separated by a short period of expansion.
MAXIMAL TORUS ACTIONS ON SOLVMANIFOLDS AND DOUBLE COSET SPACES

Any compact, connected Lie group which acts effectively on a closed aspherical manifold is a torus Tk with k ≤ rank of , the center of π1 (M). When , the torus action is called a maximal torus action. The authors have previously shown that many closed aspherical manifolds admit maximal torus actions. In this paper, a smooth maximal torus action is constructed on each solvmanifold. They also construct smooth maximal torus actions on some double coset spaces of general Lie groups as applications.
Incidence of IBS in a Cohort of People with Asthma

We conducted a study to examine the relation of asthma and its treatment to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We identified cohorts of members with and without asthma from January 1996 though June 2002 and calculated rates of IBS in both cohorts. In a nested case-control study, we calculated odds ratios for oral steroid dispensings before IBS onset. To address differential IBS detection, we conducted a quantitative sensitivity analysis. We identified 91,237 people with asthma and sample of 24,518 people without asthma. There was a 20% increase in the incidence of IBS among people with asthma (standardized morbidity ratio = 1.2; 95% CI, 1.0–1.5), and no association between oral steroids and IBS among people with asthma (OR = 1.0; 95% CI, 0.9–1.1.) Misclassification of IBS would have biased the rate ratio toward the null. We observed a small increase in IBS among people with asthma, and no association between oral steroids and IBS onset among asthma patients.
Development of the Human Interaction Dimension of the Self-Regulated Learning Questionnaire in Asynchronous Online Learning Environments.

Two studies focusing on the development and validation of the Online Self‐Regulated Learning Inventory (OSRLI) were conducted. The OSRLI is a self‐report instrument assessing the human interaction dimension of online self‐regulated learning. It consists of an affect/motivation scale and an interaction strategies scale. In Study 1, exploratory factor analysis of an initial affect/motivation item pool yielded four factors: enjoyment of human interaction, self‐efficacy for interaction with instructors, concern for interaction with students, and self‐efficacy for contributing to the online community. Exploratory factor analysis of an initial learning strategies item pool revealed three factors: writing strategies, responding strategies, and reflection strategies. In Study 2, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted in order to evaluate the stability of multidimensional factor structures. These exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed the OSRLI to be statistically moderate in terms of reliability ...
Engaging Visitors to Create Positive Futures

Education leaders across the museum field are asking how the future of museum education will be different from the past and how we think of our work today. Are there “excellent” or “best practices” we should reconsider in light of ways that our world is changing? As we experience generational and cultural shifts — rapidly changing technology; increased expectations for customized options and crowd sourcing; the increasing energy within the climate system; and the changing demographics of the U.S., among others — we propose that museum education should orient our exploration of practice with a new goal in mind. That goal is for visitors to leave our institutions with a sense of themselves as empowered actors in the story of creating a positive future. Each of our institutions — whether we focus on art, science, history, natural history, live animal or another content area — has a responsibility to help visitors engage in learning not only about the special items in our collections but thinking about their lives in relation to those collections. 1 To realize that goal, we need to be engaging expertise from social and cognitive sciences, including psychology, cultural anthropology, linguistics, and neuroscience far more than we have in the past. Most of us are very good at gathering and analyzing guestsatisfaction data, which has proved to be valuable for customer service and marketing. We have spent less money and time and effort to assess the educational impact of visiting, let alone the impact on individuals’ or groups’ sense of self that a visit may evoke or fail to evoke. 2 Social sciences offer theories and approaches to assess our work and to provide us with practical guidance to making an impact. How can we use communications and cultural research to guide guests to think constructively about issues that have far reaching connections with our lives, such as climate change? What would be the impact on educators to shift from being providers