cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Autism spectrum disorders: Methodological considerations for Early Intensive Behavioral Interventions

Abstract Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) has become a cornerstone of early intervention for young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). As this field has matured, the emphasis will need to shift from does it work to more specific and tailored research topics. Increasing compatibility across studies will be critical. Establishing more rigorous methods of group assignment and more systematic and detailed descriptions of participants, and developing more up-to-date criteria and methods of diagnosis will be needed. Also, providing more systematic and detailed descriptions of treatment and more emphasis on staff training and treatment integrity will be required. How methodology can be improved serves as the primary focus of the paper.
Effect of diet and tryptophan on hepatic polyribosomal disaggregation due to actinomycin D.

Abstract The effect of prefeeding a complete diet on polyribosomal disaggregation due to actinomycin D and the effect of trytophan on polyribosomal disaggregation after actinomycin D on the livers of rats were investigated. Fasted rats that were treated with actinomycin D showed moderate to marked disaggregation of hepatic polyribosomes after 6–12 hr. In contrast, fed rats, especially those tube-fed shortly prior to actinomycin treatment, showed much less, only minimal, disaggregation of hepatic polyribosomes. The effect of prefeeding could be observed with a protein-free diet and was not related to altered absorption of actinomycin or changes in actinomycin-induced inhibition of RNA synthesis or induction of tryptophan pyrrolase after cortisone. The disaggregation of hepatic polyribosomes in fasted rats after actinomycin could be returned toward normal, becoming reaggregated, by the administration of tryptophan but not by other single amino acids. Tryptophan did not influence the degree of inhibition of hepatic RNA synthesis due to actinomycin.
Regime-switching analysis of ADR home market pass-through

Abstract We model and estimate ADRs’ home market pass-through and pricing-to-market using a regime-switching approach, which nests the two regimes in a conditional capital asset pricing model and treats any changes in these two regimes probabilistically. Our results from the 1998 to 2006 data show that the pricing-to-market regime dominates ADRs from China and Japan, whereas the home market pass-through regime dominates ADRs from Argentina and Germany when their respective home markets are volatile.
Symmetry in chemistry from the hydrogen atom to proteins

The last 2 decades have seen discoveries in highly excited states of atoms and molecules of phenomena that are qualitatively different from the “planetary” model of the atom, and the near-rigid model of molecules, characteristic of these systems in their low-energy states. A unified view is emerging in terms of approximate dynamical symmetry principles. Highly excited states of two-electron atoms display “molecular” behavior of a nonrigid linear structure undergoing collective rotation and vibration. Highly excited states of molecules described in the “standard molecular model” display normal mode couplings, which induce bifurcations on the route to molecular chaos. New approaches such as rigid–nonrigid correlation, vibrons, and quantum groups suggest a unified view of collective electronic motion in atoms and nuclear motion in molecules.
Modeling effects of dislocation substructure in polycrystal elastoviscoplasticity

Abstract Microheterogeneity resulting from dislocation substructure evolution is introduced into polycrystal elastoviscoplasticity through a second rank tensorial internal state variable. This evolving tensorial variable operates at the scale of the grain to capture the effects of subgrain scale dislocation substructures. The microheterogeneity resulting from dislocation substructure evolution is mapped to each single crystal slip system as kinematic hardening and also affects the higher length scale of intergranular constraints in a self-consistent manner. The anisotropy from the microheterogeneity internal state variable improves the trends of correlation between polycrystalline calculation macroscale responses (stress-strain curve, texture, and axial stresses developed during fixed-end torsion) and the experimental results. Elastic moduli under finite strains were experimentally measured to corroborate numerical predictions. Calculations with the microheterogeneity internal state variable compared better with the elastic moduli measurements than did the Taylor model.
Delayed Fracture of an Aluminum Alloy Subjected to Hg LME

Structural components in a variety of industries are routinely subjected to static and cyclic loadings over an extended period of time; all while exposed to aggressive reactants in the environment. Of critical importance is the interaction between a material discontinuity and its environment. Environmentally assisted cracking (EAC) has been observed in chemical processing, piping and power generation industries to result in the rupture and failure of components. Notably, stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and liquid metal embrittlement (LME) have been extensively researched over the last century; however, there exists uncertainty in the microstructural failure mechanisms. Discrepancies are rooted in theories accounting for some liquid-solid couples but not others subjected to identical conditions. Recently, fracture mechanics experiments have revealed a life-dependency on the level of an initial static stress intensity of a cracked member. Unstable crack growth is observed above a threshold stress intensity value, KILME , or critical stress, σLME , below which rupture does not occur as quickly or at all. Experimental findings suggest that rupture can still occur at a lower stress intensity, provided a favorable microstructural orientation and/or critical stress is achieved that promotes crack initiation. Crack initiation processes are, therefore, the critical limiting factor in assessing the life of a component subjected to corrosive environments. An experimental study implemented Al7075-T651 notched tensile specimens in the study on delayed fracture of specimens subjected to liquid mercury at room temperature. Through varying loads and loading patterns, the stress and strain at the notch root can be evaluated and correlated with time to crack initiation. Life predictions can then be made based on the level of stress experienced in a structural component, even before the existence of a crack is detected.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Cloning and developmental expression of the sucrose-phosphate-synthase gene from spinach

A 561-base-pair (bp) polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) product of sucrose-phosphate synthase (SPS) was amplified using degenerate oligonucleotide primers corresponding to tryptic peptides of SPS (EC 2.4.1.14) from spinach (Spinacia oleracea L). Crucial to the primer specificity and the synthesis of the 561-bp product was the use of primer pools in which the number of degenerate primer species was limited. A full-length cDNA was subsequently obtained by screening a cDNA bacteriophage library with the 561-bp product of SPS and 5′ PCR-RACE (Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends). The 3530-bp cDNA of SPS encoded for a 1056-amino-acid polypeptide of predicted molecular mass of 117 kDa. The deduced amino-acid sequence of spinach SPS showed regions of strong homology with SPS from maize (A.C. Worrell et al., 1991, Plant Cell 3, 1121–1130); amino-acid identity was 54% over the entire protein. Western and Northern analyses of root, petiole and spinach leaf tissue showed that SPS was expressed in an organ-specific manner, being predominantly localized in the leaf. The accumulation of SPS protein and mRNA during leaf development coincided with the early rapid phase of leaf expansion and the apparent transition of the leaf from sink to source status. Levels of SPS mRNA and protein were reduced during the acclimation of leaves to low-irradiance conditions. Transfer of low-irradiance-adapted leaves to higher-irradiance conditions resulted in a gradual increase in SPS protein and mRNA. Diurnal changes in irradiance did not alter SPS protein or transcript levels, indicating that short-term regulation of SPS primarily involves a modulation of enzyme activity.
Superplasticity in a silicon carbide whisker reinforced aluminum alloy

Abstract Metal matrix composites can be made to flow superplasticity under thermal cycling conditions of uniaxial testing. This mechanical response is attributable to the generaration of internal stresses during thermal cycling arising from the difference in thermal expansion coefficient of the constituents making up the composite. The net effect of the internal stresses is to assist plastic flow of the matrix material in the direction of the applied stress resulting in an increase in the strain rate sensitiviy exponent as the magnitude of the applied stress decreases. At low applied stresses the strain-rate sensitivity exponent is unity and the matrix behaves as a Newtonian fluid. A silicon carbide whisker-reinforced aluminum alloy (20% SiC fibers in 2024 aluminum) is shown to exhibit tensile ductilities in the order of 300% when deformed under thermal cycling conditions ( 100 ⇇ 450° C ) and at low stresses ( σ ⋍ 20 MPa ).
Methods for the quantitative analysis of volatile halocarbons from aqueous samples by equilibrium headspace gas chromatography with capillary columns

Abstract Volatile halogenated hydrocarbons (halocarbons) from aqueous solutions are analysed by headspace gas chromatography with fused-silica capillary columns and an electron-capture detector with detection limits below the parts per billion level. Special emphasis is placed on quantitative determination. Calibration by the internal and external standard techniques and by the method of standard additions is discussed and compared with the multiple headspace extraction procedure, which is based on a repeated headspace extraction of the sample.
Nursing Leadership in Addressing the Social Determinants of Health

Social determinants of health have a profound impact on health status and the prevalence of health disparities in the United States. Significant improvements in national health indices are not possible without addressing social determinants of health. Drawing on their historical legacy as patient advocates, patient care expertise, and community focused education, nurses are ideally positioned to lead the nation in strategies to promote health equity. Nurses can embrace this new leadership role through the use of interdisciplinary collaboration, advocacy, political involvement, and community partnerships.
Natural History of Resident and Translocated Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys temminckii) in Louisiana

Abstract Translocation is often considered a viable conservation strategy, despite the absence of species-specific post-translocation data. Macrochelys temminckii (Alligator Snapping Turtle) populations have declined across their range and they may be considered candidates for translocation, but few studies have examined the response of individuals to movement events. I monitored M. temminckii with radiotelemetry in northwest Louisiana to provide baseline data regarding the species' response to translocation. I calculated average distances moved per day, measured water depths, and recorded growth of translocated and resident turtles. There was no observed mortality during the study, and translocated turtles gained mass and increased shell dimensions, indicating they effectively located resources after translocation. Resident individual shell dimensions increased, but some residents lost mass, possibly due to early recapture and reweighing dates. Movement distances were within the ranges reported by previo...
Quantifying the influence of twin boundaries on the deformation of nanocrystalline copper using atomistic simulations

Abstract Over the past decade, numerous efforts have sought to understand the influence of twin boundaries on the behavior of polycrystalline materials. Early results suggested that twin boundaries within nanocrystalline face-centered cubic metals have a considerable effect on material behavior by altering the activated deformation mechanisms. In this work, we employ molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate the role of twin boundaries on the deformation of 〈 1 0 0 〉 columnar nanocrystalline copper at room temperature under uniaxial strain. We leverage non-local kinematic metrics, formulated from continuum mechanics theory, to compute atomically-resolved rotational and strain fields during plastic deformation. These results are then utilized to compute the distribution of various nanoscale mechanisms during straining, and quantitatively resolve their contribution to the total strain accommodation within the microstructure, highlighting the fundamental role of twin boundaries. Our results show that nanoscale twins influence nanocrystalline copper by altering the cooperation of fundamental deformation mechanisms and their contributed role in strain accommodation, and we present new methods for extracting useful information from atomistic simulations. The simulation results suggest a tension–compression asymmetry in the distribution of deformation mechanisms and strain accommodation by either dislocations or twin boundary mechanisms. In highly twinned microstructures, twin boundary migration can become a significant deformation mode, in comparison to lattice dislocation plasticity in non-twinned columnar microstructures, especially during compression.
Decision analysis using individual patient preferences to determine optimal treatment for localized prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND Selecting treatment for clinically localized prostate cancer remains an ongoing challenge. Previous decision analyses focused on a hypothetical patient with average preferences, but preferences differ for clinically similar patients, implying that their optimal therapies may also differ. METHODS A decision model was constructed comparing 4 treatments for localized prostate cancer: 1) radical prostatectomy (RP); 2) external beam radiation (EB); 3) brachytherapy (BT); and 4) watchful waiting (WW). Published data were used regarding treatment success, side effects, and noncancer survival, and 156 men with prostate cancer were surveyed to elicit preferences in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). The clinical scenarios were determined (age, tumor grade, and prostate-specific antigen [PSA]) for which variations in patient preferences led to different optimal treatments and those for which the optimal treatment was unaffected by preferences. RESULTS Patient preferences were critical in determining treatment for low-risk cancers (Gleason score ≤6, PSA ≤10 ng/mL) and for patients aged 75 years and older. In younger patients with more aggressive tumors, RP and EB were always superior to WW or BT, regardless of preferences (average gain in quality-adjusted life expectancy vs WW for a 60-year-old with a medium-risk tumor = +1.4 years for RP and +1.7 for EB; for a high-risk tumor = +2.1 years for RP and +2.4 for EB). BT was a reasonable option for low-risk tumors at any age. WW was only reasonable for patients aged 70 and older with low-risk tumors or those aged 80 years and older with medium-risk tumors. Selecting treatment based on average preferences leads to suboptimal choices for 30% of patients. CONCLUSIONS The optimal treatment for prostate cancer depends on both the clinical scenario (patient age and tumor aggressiveness) and the patient's preferences. Decision analyses taking individualized preferences into account may be a useful adjunct in clinical decision-making. Cancer 2007. © 2007 American Cancer Society.
Optical coherence tomography reader agreement in neovascular age-related macular degeneration

Purpose To determine the interreader and intrareader agreement at the Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) Reading Center at Duke for images produced for an interventional neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) clinical trial. Design Retrospective, observational case series. Methods OCT was performed using the Stratus OCT Fast Macular Thickness Map (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, California, USA) scan mode and a 7-mm line scan centered on the fovea. Experienced OCT readers, certified to grade scans according to a standardized protocol, independently determined whether a scan was gradable. If gradable, each of the scans was graded for multiple morphologic characteristics. In addition, retinal thickness, subretinal fluid thickness, and choroidal neovascularization (CNV) thickness at the fovea were measured for each gradable scan. Interreader agreement was determined among three reader pairs. Readers regraded a subset of scans and intrareader agreement was determined. Results The interreader agreement was high for scan gradability and scan grades among three reader pairs, ranging from 84% to 100% and from 84% to 96%, respectively. Similarly, the intrareader agreement for scan gradability and scan grade, including comparison of adjudicated scan grades with readjudicated scan grades, was high and ranged from 91% to 100% and from 79% to 98%, respectively, except for scan grades of retinal pigment epithelium atrophy, when CNV was present. Highly reproducible results also were found for quantitative thickness measurements. Conclusions Well-trained OCT readers can grade independently, with a high level of interreader and intrareader agreement, multiple morphologic parameters of OCT scans obtained from eyes with neovascular AMD. Reproducible Stratus OCT scan data will be valuable to monitor treatment efficacy in interventional clinical trials of neovascular AMD.
A survey of colonoscopic polypectomy practices among clinical gastroenterologists

Background Polypectomy techniques vary in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to determine patterns of polypectomy practices in a random sample of gastroenterologists. Methods A total of 300 gastroenterologists were selected randomly from the membership directory of a professional society. They were asked to complete a standardized survey by telephone, electronic mail, or facsimile. Results The offices of 285 physicians were contacted successfully. A total of 189 (63%) chose to participate. 152 (80%) of these physicians were in private practice, and 37 (20%) were in academic practice. The mean number of years in practice was 15.5 (range 1-46 years). Forceps techniques (cold or hot) dominated other polypectomy methods for polyps 1 to 3 mm in size ( p p Conclusions At present, polypectomy technique among clinical gastroenterologists is highly variable. Some newer ancillary techniques have had extremely limited use thus far.
Electrical measurements in the atmosphere and the ionosphere over an active thunderstorm: 2. Direct current electric fields and conductivity

On August 9, 1981, a series of three rockets was launched over an air mass thunderstorm off the eastern seaboard of Virginia while simultaneous stratospheric and ground-based electric field measurements were made. The conductivity was substantially lower at most altitudes than the conductivity profiles used by theoretical models. Direct current electric fields over 80 mV/m were measured as far away as 96 km from the storm in the stratosphere at 23 km altitude. No dc electric fields above 75 km altitude could be identified with the thunderstorm, in agreement with theory. However, vertical current densities over 120 pA/sq m were seen well above the classical 'electrosphere' (at 50 or 60 km). Frequent dc shifts in the electric field following lightning transients were seen by both balloon and rocket payloads. These dc shifts are clearly identifiable with either cloud-to-ground (increases) or intercloud (decreases) lightning flashes.
NESTOR: an architecture for network self-management and organization

Configuration management presently requires complex labor-intensive processes by experts. A single configuration task-installing/reconfiguring a system, or provisioning a service-typically involves a large number of activities fragmented among multiple network elements, each with its own proprietary configuration management instrumentation and tools. A change may cause configuration inconsistencies resulting in failures or inefficiencies; undoing changes to recover an operational state is often very difficult or even practically impossible. Therefore, configuration management is very costly, error prone, and often results in unpredictable failures and costly recovery. NESTOR seeks to replace labor-intensive configuration management with one that is automated and software-intensive. Configuration management is automated by policy scripts that access and manipulate respective network elements via a resource directory server (RDS). RDS provides a uniform object-relationship model of network resources and represents consistency in terms of constraints; it supports atomicity and recovery of configuration change transactions, and mechanisms to assure consistency through changes. RDS pushes configuration changes to network elements using a layer of adapters that translate operations on its object-relationship model to actions on respective elements. NESTOR has been implemented in two complementary versions and is now being applied to automate several configuration management scenarios of increasing complexity, with encouraging results.
Naturally acidic surface and ground waters draining porphyry-related mineralized areas of the Southern Rocky Mountains, Colorado and New Mexico

Abstract Acidic, metal-rich waters produced by the oxidative weathering and resulting leaching of major and trace elements from pyritic rocks can adversely affect water quality in receiving streams and riparian ecosystems. Five study areas in the southern Rocky Mountains with naturally acidic waters associated with porphyry mineralization were studied to document variations in water chemistry and processes that control the chemical variations. Study areas include the Upper Animas River watershed, East Alpine Gulch, Mount Emmons, and Handcart Gulch in Colorado and the Red River in New Mexico. Although host-rock lithologies in all these areas range from Precambrian gneisses to Cretaceous sedimentary units to Tertiary volcanic complexes, the mineralization is Tertiary in age and associated with intermediate to felsic composition, porphyritic plutons. Pyrite is ubiquitous, ranging from ∼1 to >5 vol.%. Springs and headwater streams have pH values as low as 2.6, SO4 up to 3700 mg/L and high dissolved metal concentrations (for example: Fe up to 400 mg/L; Cu up to 3.5 mg/L; and Zn up to 14.4 mg/L). Intensity of hydrothermal alteration and presence of sulfides are the primary controls of water chemistry of these naturally acidic waters. Subbasins underlain by intensely hydrothermally altered lithologies are poorly vegetated and quite susceptible to storm-induced surface runoff. Within the Red River study area, results from a storm runoff study documented downstream changes in river chemistry: pH decreased from 7.80 to 4.83, alkalinity decreased from 49.4 to
Technology and the Study of Organizations: An Overview and Appraisal

“Technology” has been elusively defined, reified, treated solely as an independent variable, applied wholistically to organizations, confused with structure, crudely measured, and studied mainly in manufacturing firms. Some conceptual and methodological problems associated with the concept can be reduced by a heuristic scheme, which suggests variable theoretical statuses, different levels of analysis, application to both product and service types of organizations, and a means of clearly identifying technological effects.
Cigarette Smoking Induces Overexpression of a Fat-Depleting Gene AZGP1 in the Human

Background Smokers weigh less and have less body fat than nonsmokers. Increased body fat and weight gain are observed following smoking cessation. To assess a possible molecular mechanism underlying the inverse association between smoking and body weight, we hypothesized that smoking may induce the expression of a fat-depleting gene in the airway epithelium, the cell population that takes the brunt of the stress of cigarette smoke. Methods To assess whether smoking up-regulates expression in the airway epithelium of genes associated with weight loss, microarray analysis was used to evaluate genes associated with fat depletion in large airway epithelial samples obtained by fiberoptic bronchoscopy from healthy smokers and healthy nonsmokers. As a candidate gene we further evaluated the expression of α 2 -zinc-glycoprotein 1 (AZGP1), a soluble protein that stimulates lipolysis, induces a reduction in body fat in mice, is associated with the cachexia related to cancer, and is known to be expressed in secretory cells of lung epithelium. AZGP1 protein expression was assessed by Western analysis and localization in the large airway epithelium by immunohistochemistry. Results Both microarray and TaqMan analysis demonstrated that AZGP1 messenger RNA levels were higher in the large airway epithelium of healthy smokers compared to healthy nonsmokers (p Conclusions In the context that AZGP1 is involved in lipolysis and fat loss, its overexpression in the airway epithelium of chronic smokers may represent one mechanism for the weight difference in smokers vs nonsmokers.
Connections between parents' friendships and children's peer relationships

This study investigated connections between qualities of parents' own friendships and children's negative peer relationships (i.e., aggression and peer rejection). Participants were 57 dyads of second-grade children (29 girls and 28 boys; mean age = 7.6 years) and their parents. Data on child aggression were collected from teachers and peers, and child peer rejection was assessed using unlimited peer nominations. Parents reported on their own friendship network size, satisfaction, quality, and conflict. Results revealed that two aspects of parents' friendships, conflict and satisfaction, predicted children's peer rejection and aggression. Reasons for these linkages, and implications for intervention, are discussed.
The OSU System for Surface Realization at Generation Challenges 2011

This report documents our efforts to develop a Generation Challenges 2011 surface realization system by converting the shared task deep inputs to ones compatible with OpenCCG. Although difficulties in conversion led us to employ machine learning for relation mapping and to introduce several robustness measures into OpenCCG's grammar-based chart realizer, the percentage of grammatically complete realizations still remained well below results using native OpenCCG inputs on the development set, with a corresponding drop in output quality. We discuss known conversion issues and possible ways to improve performance on shared task inputs.
Content and Context Aware Networking Using Semantic Tagging

Todays model of networking primarily concentrates intelligence at the end hosts with the network itself offering a simple"best-effor","data agnostic" communication medium. However, this paradigm has proven to be insufficient to meet todays needs considering the diversity of applications and devices that are networked. To offer value added services to these end users and applications, more and more intelligence needs to be migrated away from the edges and into the network in a controlled and tractable manner. In this paper, we present our approach of utilizing semantic data tagging to provide content level information for data streams flowing through a network. A policy based management mechanism is utilized within the network fabric allowing routers to reason over the content and make intelligent decisions regarding the handling of data packets. Service differentiation, in-network content adaptation, traffic monitoring and control etc. are some of the new services that can now be offered by the network in a generic and flexible manner. By deploying our proposed architecture, a network need no longer be viewed as a simple data transport medium but rather as a policy-controlled intelligent packet/stream processor that can offer specialized handling based on application needs.
The Causal Effect of Campus Residency on College Student Retention

Despite theoretical evidence positing a positive relationship between campus residency and collegiate outcomes, prior research has not established a causal link. Utilizing propensity score matching and national longitudinal data, this study investigates whether living in university-owned housing impacts retention. The results suggest that the impact of living on campus is not negligible: the probability of remaining enrolled into the second year of college is 3.3 percentage points higher for on-campus residents than off-campus residents. Colleges should consider evaluating the impact of their campus housing programs on academic outcomes to inform important housing policy decisions.
Lamb shift measurement in lithiumlike uranium (U89

This article discusses our measurement of the 22P1/2-22S1/2 (lowest excited state to ground state) energy splitting in lithiumlike uranium, which has large quantum electrodynamic corrections. The reasons for using lithiumlike uranium are discussed. Our result, 280.59 ± 0.10 eV, is a benchmark test for current theory.
Silicon photonic crystal fiber

Silica photonic crystal fibers are converted to silicon using magnesiothermic reduction. Silicon fibers have the advantage of having a broadband transmission window extending into the midinfrared and extremely large nonlinearity.
RURAL-URBAN DIFFERENCES IN SUBSTANCE USE AND TREATMENT UTILIZATION AMONG PRISONERS

Surveys of incarcerated offenders and arrestees consistently report high rates of both alcohol and drug use in this population. This drug-crime connection has highlighted the need to learn more not only about drug treatment effectiveness, but also about drug treatment utilization. While studies have begun to examine drug treatment utilization, most of these studies have been based on urban substance abusers. Little is known about the extent to which urban and rural substance abusers may be different in terms of treatment utilization. This study, therefore, examines differences between urban and rural drug use patterns and treatment utilization among chronic drug abusers to determine whether, and in what ways, rurality may affect substance abuse and treatment seeking. The study examines these issues in a group of chronic drug users who were incarcerated at the time of the study. Findings show significant differences in drug use and treatment utilization of urban and rural offenders. Chronic drug abusers from rural and very rural areas have significantly higher rates of lifetime drug use, as well as higher rates of drug use in the 30 days prior to their current incarceration than chronic drug abusers from urban areas. Nonetheless, being from a very rural area decreased the likelihood of having ever been in treatment after controlling for the number of years using and race. While problem recognition appears to explain much of the effect of very rural residence on treatment utilization for alcohol abuse, the effects of being from a very rural area on seeking treatment for drug abuse remain statistically significant even after controlling for several other variables. The findings point to the importance of providing culturally appropriate education to very rural communities on the benefits of substance abuse treatment and of providing substance abuse treatment within the criminal justice system.
Epigenetic coordination of signaling pathways during the epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Background The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a de-differentiation process required for wound healing and development. In tumors of epithelial origin aberrant induction of EMT contributes to cancer progression and metastasis. Studies have begun to implicate epigenetic reprogramming in EMT; however, the relationship between reprogramming and the coordination of cellular processes is largely unexplored. We have previously developed a system to study EMT in a canonical non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) model. In this system we have shown that the induction of EMT results in constitutive NF-κB activity. We hypothesized a role for chromatin remodeling in the sustained deregulation of cellular signaling pathways.
Biophysics of α-Synuclein Membrane Interactions

Membrane proteins participate in nearly all cellular processes; however, because of experimental limitations, their characterization lags far behind that of soluble proteins. Peripheral membrane proteins are particularly challenging to study because of their inherent propensity to adopt multiple and/or transient conformations in solution and upon membrane association. In this review, we summarize useful biophysical techniques for the study of peripheral membrane proteins and their application in the characterization of the membrane interactions of the natively unfolded and Parkinson's disease (PD) related protein, α-synuclein (α-syn). We give particular focus to studies that have led to the current understanding of membrane-bound α-syn structure and the elucidation of specific membrane properties that affect α-syn-membrane binding. Finally, we discuss biophysical evidence supporting a key role for membranes and α-syn in PD pathogenesis. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Membrane protein structure and function.
Slow phases of GABAA receptor desensitization: structural determinants and possible relevance for synaptic function

GABAA receptor fast desensitization is thought to shape the time course of individual IPSCs. Although GABAA receptors also exhibit slower phases of desensitization, the possible role of slow desensitization in modifying synaptic function is poorly understood. In transiently transfected human embryonic kidney (HEK293T) cells, rat α1β3δ and α1β3γ2L GABAA receptors showed distinct desensitization patterns during long (28 s) concentration jumps using a saturating (1 mm) GABA concentration. α1β3γ2L receptors desensitized extensively (≈90 %), with four phases (τ1≈20 ms, τ2≈400 ms, τ3≈2 s, τ4≈10 s), while α1β3δ receptors desensitized slowly and less extensively (≈35 %), with one or two slow phases with time constants similar to τ3 and τ4 of α1β3γ2L receptors. To determine the structural basis of subunit-specific desensitization, δ-γ2L chimera subunits were expressed with α1 and β3 subunits. Replacing the entire N-terminus of the γ2L subunit with δ subunit sequence did not alter the number of phases or the extent of desensitization. Although extension of δ subunit sequence into transmembrane domain 1 (TM1) abolished the fast and intermediate components of desensitization, the two slow phases still accounted for substantial current loss (≈65 %). However, when δ subunit sequence was extended through TM2, the extent of desensitization was significantly decreased and indistinguishable from that of α1β3δ receptors. The importance of TM2 sequence was confirmed by introducing γ2 subunit TM2 residues into the δ subunit, which significantly increased the extent of desensitization, without introducing either the fast or intermediate desensitization phases. However, introducing δ subunit TM2 sequence into the γ2L subunit had minimal effect on the rates or extent of desensitization. The results suggest that distinct δ subunit structures are responsible for its unique desensitization properties: lack of fast and intermediate desensitization and small contribution of the slow phases of desensitization. Finally, to investigate the possible role of slow desensitization in synaptic function, we used a pulse train protocol. We observed inhibition of peak current amplitude that depended on the frequency and duration of GABA pulses for receptors exhibiting extensive desensitization, whether fast phases were present or not. The minimally desensitizing α1β3δ receptor exhibited negligible inhibition during pulse trains. Because receptors that desensitized without the fast and intermediate phases showed pulse train inhibition, we concluded that receptors can accumulate in slowly equilibrating desensitized states during repetitive receptor activation. These results may indicate a previously unrecognized role for the slow phases of desensitization for synaptic function under conditions of repeated GABAA receptor activation.
Hyperactivity in Children: Evidence for Differences between Parents' and Teachers' Perceptions of Predominant Features

Summary.-The behavior of 34 hyperactive children was rated by their parents and teachers. The relationships between behavior rating scores and the actual behavior of the children in the classroom were examined. Parents' ratings correlated significantly with children's frequency of inattention in the classroom, while teachers' ratings were correlated with out-of-seat behavior. Results are discussed in terms of parents' and teachers' sensitivity to and awareness of different features of hyperactivity in children. Despite the considerable amount of confusion among practitioners and researchers regarding the diagnosis of hyperactivity, such children are consistently characterized in the professional literature as having attentional and impulse-control difficulties. Some researchers have even suggested that the hyperactivity label may be of limited usefulness since activity level alone is often unreliable and has little bearing on the fragmented and disorganized quality of the hyperactive child's behavior (3, 8). Douglas (2), for instance, has advanced the argument that the inability to sustain attention and to inhibit impulsive responding not only usually accompany hyperactivity but are more critical symptoms than the hyperactive behavior. Further, Douglas and Peters (3) suggested that a more suitable label than hyperactivity might be "attentionimpulsivity-hyperactivity disorder." The current research examines the possibility that the relative emphasis one places upon inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity depends, in part, on whether the parent or teacher is the primary provider of information about the child's behavior. To this end, the current study examined the relationship between the actual classroom behavior of children and behavioral ratings of the children by teachers and parents.
Chlamydomonas telomere sequences are A+T-rich but contain three consecutive G-C base pairs.

Abstract We have isolated telomeric DNA and telomere-associated sequences from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The terminal telomere sequences of the green alga Chlamydomonas are composed of (TTTTAGGG)n repeats that are similar, but not identical, to those of the higher plant Arabidopsis thaliana. We demonstrate that these repeats are telomeric by their preferential sensitivity to nuclease Bal-31 digestion, their similarity to A. thaliana telomeres, their orientation relative to the end of the chromosome, and the methods used for their isolation. Five independent telomere clones were isolated, and three of these clones include closely related telomere-associated sequences. One of these telomere-associated sequences hybridizes to a number of genomic fragments sensitive to digestion with the exonuclease Bal-31. Like telomere sequences from other organisms, the C. reinhardtii telomeres display a bias for guanine and thymine nucleotides on the 3'-end strand. However, the sequence of Chlamydomonas telomeres is more A + T-rich than any other known telomere sequence. We propose that the common feature of all known telomere is the frequent occurrence of tracts of three or more adjacent guanine residues.
Car-Pooling as a Data Structuring Device: The Soft Heap

A simple variant of a priority queue, called a soft heap, is introduced. The data structure supports the usual operations: insert, delete, meld, and findmin. In order to beat the standard informationtheoretic bounds, the soft heap allows errors: occasionally, the keys of certain items are artificially raised. Given any 0 < Ɛ < 1=2 and any mixed sequence of n operations, the soft heap ensures that at most ∈n keys are raised at any time. The amortized complexity of each operation is constant, except for insert, which takes O(log 1/Ɛ) time. The soft heap is optimal. Also, being purely pointer-based, no arrays are used and no numeric assumptions are made on the keys. The novelty of the data structure is that items are moved together in groups, in a data-structuring equivalent of "car pooling." The main application of the data structure is a faster deterministic algorithm for minimum spanning trees.
B7DC/PDL2 Promotes Tumor Immunity by a PD-1–independent Mechanism

B7H1 (PDL1) and B7DC (PDL2) are two new members of the B7 family that can interact with PD-1, a putative negative regulator for immune function. Recent studies have provided evidence for inhibitory functions of both members via PD-1. Meanwhile, compelling evidence exists for costimulatory function of both members. Here we demonstrate that expression of B7DC on the tumor cells promotes CD8 T cell–mediated rejection of tumor cells, at both the induction and effector phase of antitumor immunity. Moreover, B7DC binds to PD-1(−/−) cells and enhances T cell killing in a PD-1–independent mechanism. Our results demonstrate a novel pathway for B7DC to promote tumor immunity and may reconcile the apparently contradictory findings on the function of B7DC.
Linear Filters for Linear Systems with Multiplicative Noise and Nonlinear Filters for Linear Systems with Non-Gaussian Additive Noise

Exact optimal least squares linear filters with precomputable gains are derived for the class of discrete linear systems with state update and output corrupted by white noise multiplying a linear function in the state. The derived method is then applied to obtain suboptimal nonlinear filters for linear systems with non-Gaussian additive noise.
The chemokine KC regulates HGF-stimulated epithelial cell morphogenesis.

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) induces migration, proliferation, and branching in renal epithelial cells from the inner medullary collecting duct (mIMCD-3 cells). Microarray analysis after HGF stim...
Cross-sectional Echocardiographic Imaging of Supracardiac Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Drainage to a Vertical Vein in a Patient With Holt-Oram Syndrome:

We report the unusual association of total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage in a three-year-old with Holt-Oram syndrome and a new technique for imaging vertical vein drainage of anomalously draining pulmonary veins by suprasternal cross-sectional echocardiography.
Are Horses Like Zebras, or Vice Versa? Children's Sensitivity to the Asymmetries of Directional Comparisons

Adults exhibit strong preferences when framing symmetrical relations. Adults prefer, for example, “A zebra is like a horse” to “A horse is like a zebra,” and “The bicycle is near the building” to “The building is near the bicycle.” This is because directional syntax requires more typical or prominent items (i.e., reference points) to be placed in the complement position. Three experiments with children ages 4–8 (N = 181) explored whether children share this sensitivity to directional syntax. Children of this age showed an incipient preference for framing reference points as complements. Stating, “Girls do math as well as boys,” which frames boys as the reference point for girls, may therefore actually teach children that boys set the standard.
Perceiving referential intent: Dynamics of reference in natural parent-child interactions.

Two studies are presented which examined the temporal dynamics of the social-attentive behaviors that co-occur with referent identification during natural parent–child interactions in the home. Study 1 focused on 6.2 h of videos of 56 parents interacting during everyday activities with their 14–18 month-olds, during which parents uttered common nouns as parts of spontaneously occurring utterances. Trained coders recorded, on a second-by-second basis, parent and child attentional behaviors relevant to reference in the period (40 s) immediately surrounding parental naming. The referential transparency of each interaction was independently assessed by having naive adult participants guess what word the parent had uttered in these video segments, but with the audio turned off, forcing them to use only non-linguistic evidence available in the ongoing stream of events. We found a great deal of ambiguity in the input along with a few potent moments of word-referent transparency; these transparent moments have a particular temporal signature with respect to parent and child attentive behavior: it was the object’s appearance and/or the fact that it captured parent/child attention at the moment the word was uttered, not the presence of the object throughout the video, that predicted observers’ accuracy. Study 2 experimentally investigated the precision of the timing relation, and whether it has an effect on observer accuracy, by disrupting the timing between when the word was uttered and the behaviors present in the videos as they were originally recorded. Disrupting timing by only ±1 to 2 s reduced participant confidence and significantly decreased their accuracy in word identification. The results enhance an expanding literature on how dyadic attentional factors can influence early vocabulary growth. By hypothesis, this kind of time-sensitive data-selection process operates as a filter on input, removing many extraneous and ill-supported word-meaning hypotheses from consideration during children’s early vocabulary learning.
The Multilevel Innovation Policy Mix: Three Essays on State SBIR Matching Programs

This three-essay dissertation analyzes the impact of U.S. state government R&D investments on small business innovation. Essay one identifies and classifies the portfolio of state programs designed to enhance the federal SBIR program. It includes an empirical assessment of antecedent factors associated with states adopting and maintaining an SBIR Match program. Essay two examines the efficacy of the SBIR State Match program and finds positive benefits for National Science Foundation participants. Essay three exploits policy discontinuities at state borders and estimates both the differential and marginal effect of the SBIR State Match program on securing follow on federal funding.
Local GM-CSF–Dependent Differentiation and Activation of Pulmonary Dendritic Cells and Macrophages Protect against Progressive Cryptococcal Lung Infection in Mice

Patients with acquired deficiency in GM-CSF are susceptible to infections with Cryptococcus neoformans and other opportunistic fungi. We previously showed that GM-CSF protects against progressive fungal disease using a murine model of cryptococcal lung infection. To better understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms through which GM-CSF enhances antifungal host defenses, we investigated temporal and spatial relationships between myeloid and lymphoid immune responses in wild-type C57BL/6 mice capable of producing GM-CSF and GM-CSF-deficient mice infected with a moderately virulent encapsulated strain of C. neoformans (strain 52D). Our data demonstrate that GM-CSF deficiency led to a reduction in: 1) total lung leukocyte recruitment; 2) Th2 and Th17 responses; 3) total numbers of CD11b(+) dendritic cells (DC) and CD11b(-) and CD11b(+) macrophages (Mϕ); 4) DC and Mϕ activation; and 5) localization of DC and Mϕ to the microanatomic sites of alveolar infection. In contrast, GM-CSF deficiency resulted in increased accumulation of DC and Mϕ precursors, namely Ly-6C(high) monocytes, in the blood and lungs of infected mice. Collectively, these results show that GM-CSF promotes the local differentiation, accumulation, activation, and alveolar localization of lung DC and Mϕ in mice with cryptococcal lung infection. These findings identify GM-CSF as central to the protective immune response that prevents progressive fungal disease and thus shed new light on the increased susceptibility to these infections observed in patients with acquired GM-CSF deficiency.