cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Critical Period of Brain Development: Studies of Cerebral Glucose Utilization with PET

Studies with positron emission tomography indicate that the human brain undergoes a period of postnatal maturation that is much more protracted than previously suspected. In the newborn, the highest degree of glucose metabolism (representative of functional activity) is in primary sensory and motor cortex, cingulate cortex, thalamus, brain stem, cerebellar vermis, and hippocampal region. At 2 to 3 months of age, glucose utilization increases in the parietal, temporal, and primary visual cortex; basal ganglia; and cerebellar hemispheres. Between 6 and 12 months, glucose utilization increases in frontal cortex. These metabolic changes correspond to the emergence of various behaviors during the first year of life. The measurement of absolute rates of glucose utilization during development indicates that the cerebral cortex undergoes a dynamic course of metabolic maturation that persists until ages 16-18 years. Initially, there is a rise in the rates of glucose utilization from birth until about age 4 years, at which time the child's cerebral cortex uses over twice as much glucose as that of adults. From age 4 to 10 years, these very high rates of glucose consumption are maintained, and only after then is there a gradual decline of glucose metabolic rates to reach adult values by age 16-18 years. Correlations between glucose utilization rates and synaptogenesis are discussed, and the argument is made that these findings have important implications with respect to human brain plasticity following injury as well as to "critical periods" of maximal learning capacity.
Abstract 2003: Role of de novo DNMTs in carcinogen induced transformation of human bronchial epithelial cells

Malignant tumors and cell lines are characterized by increased expression of DNMT3a and 3b. While evidence suggests that DNMT1, 3a and 3b co-operate in methylation and gene silencing during carcinogenesis, very little is known about targets for DNMT3a and 3b or their impact on the development of adenocarcinoma. We developed an in vitro model using human telomerase /cyclin dependent kinase 4 -immortalized human bronchial epithelial cell lines (HBECs) to identify key molecular changes that drive transformation and clonal outgrowth of preneoplastic lung epithelial cells during exposure to tobacco carcinogens. Carcinogen exposure (0.5µM MNU and 0.05µM BPDE) for 12 weeks induced transformation of HBEC1 and HBEC2 cells and transformation efficiency was associated with DNA repair capacity. A significant increase in DNMT1 protein was observed during carcinogen exposure while moderate increases in DNMT3a and 3b were observed in transformed cells. Increased DNMT3a and 3b levels have been reported in several cancers. We observed 5-20 fold increased expression of DNMT3a and 3b in tumor derived lung cancer cell lines. Therefore we tested the hypothesis that over expressing DNMT3a and 3b would accelerate transformation by targeting specific genes for methylation and promote full malignancy in carcinogen-treated HBECs. HBEC1 and HBEC2 clones that expressed DNMT3a or 3b at levels comparable to those observed in tumor derived cell lines were isolated, expanded and characterized. Over expression of DNMT3a or 3b had no effect on DNA repair capacity, did not affect DNMT1 expression and was not sufficient to drive transformation as evidenced by inability to form colonies on soft agar. Two clones from each cell line over expressing DNMT3a or 3b were treated with carcinogen for one hour, once a week for 12 weeks and analyzed for transformation on soft agar. Studies completed for HBEC1 indicate that expression of DNMT3b increases transformation efficiency. Soft agar analyses for HBEC2 clones are on going. Further studies will characterize the mechanism for increased transformation by examining reprogramming of the epigenome and tumorigenicity of transformed cells in xenografts This study was supported by R01 ES008801. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2003. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-2003
Protection of CANARY Cells After Drying and Rehydration Correlates with Decrease in Apoptotic Cell Death

CANARY cells are genetically engineered murine B cells that serve as a rapid detection system for various infectious pathogens. We are attempting to produce a stable dehydrated cellular product to make this system practical. A major source of damage to these cells during drying was identified as apoptosis. Trehalose, which protects mammalian cells during drying, was investigated with regard to its effect on apoptosis. B cells were loaded with trehalose and vacuum-dried. Trehalose reduced apoptosis during drying and rehydration, and when used in combination with a pan-caspase inhibitor OPH-109, the degree of apoptotic cell loss was further diminished. In this case, viability following rehydration reached 70%–80%. Surprisingly, trehalose alone blocked apoptotic cell death better than OPH-109 alone (45% versus 70% total apoptotic cells for trehalose- or OPH-109–treated samples, respectively, after drying to 0.3 g H2O/g dry weight). Nevertheless, optimal viability was achieved when the cells were loaded and d...
Semiclassical energies of low-lying states of one-electron diatomics

Abstract Primitive semiclassical (PSC) calculations of the electronic, potential and kinetic energies are carried out for several low-lying states of homonuclear and heteronuclear one-electron diatomic molecules in the fixed nucleus approximation. The results are in fair agreement with the quantum values, in particular reproducing all the trends. We point out the limitations of the method in describing the important features. The PSC approach provides a specific interpretation of bonding in one-electron molecules, and the results emphasize the importance of tunneling.
Temperature-Induced Protein Release from Water-in-Oil-in-Water Double Emulsions

A model water-in-oil-in-water (W1/O/W2) double emulsion was prepared by a two-step emulsification procedure and subsequently subjected to temperature changes that caused the oil phase to freeze and thaw while the two aqueous phases remained liquid. Our previous work on individual double-emulsion globules1 demonstrated that crystallizing the oil phase (O) preserves stability, while subsequent thawing triggers coalescence of the droplets of the internal aqueous phase (W1) with the external aqueous phase (W2), termed external coalescence. Activation of this instability mechanism led to instant release of fluorescently tagged bovine serum albumin (fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)−BSA) from the W1 droplets and into W2. These results motivated us to apply the proposed temperature-induced globule-breakage mechanism to bulk double emulsions. As expected, no phase separation of the emulsion occurred if stored at temperatures below 18 °C (freezing point of the model oil n-hexadecane), whereas oil thawing readily c...
Alternative splicing in the murine and human FXR1 genes.

Abstract Fragile X syndrome results from mutations in the X-linked FMR1 gene. The most common mutation is expansion and hypermethylation of a CGG repeat in the 5′UTR of FMR1, which blocks transcription and results in the loss of FMR1 protein (FMRP). Efforts to understand the function of FMRP have led to the identification of two autosomal homologs, FXR1P and FXR2P, that may interact with FMRP in some tissues. Reported cDNAs for human, murine, and Xenopus FXR1 suggested the potential for alternatively spliced isoforms, a feature also found in the FMR1 gene. Using RT-PCR to characterize FXR1 alternative splicing in different mouse tissues and human cell lines, we identified seven isoforms that differ by the presence or absence of four DNA regions. These isoforms are found at varying levels in different tissues. The structure of the murine Fxr1h gene underlying these splicing events has also been determined. Interestingly, the longest FXR1P isoform has much greater similarity to FXR2P in the C-terminal region than has been previously recognized, and the gene structure of Fxr1h is quite similar to those of FMR1 and Fxr2h. However, unlike FMR1 and Fxr2h, there is no (CGG)n repeat in the 5′UTR region of Fxr1h. Continuing efforts to characterize the expression patterns of FMRP family members should aid in our understanding of their functions in various cells and tissues.
Splenic Infarction in 16 Dogs: A Retrospective Study

Sixteen dogs with splenic infarction due to causes other than splenic torsion were identified. Dogs with splenic infarction often had multiple concurrent diseases, and surgical management of splenic infarction was associated with high mortality. Splenic infarction occurred in dogs with hypercoagulable conditions associated with liver disease, renal disease, and hyperadrenocorticism, or as a consequence of uniform splenomegaly, neoplasia, or thrombosis associated with cardiovascular disease. Clinical signs and common laboratory findings generally reflected the underlying disease process. A variety of splenic abnormalities were detected by abdominal ultrasound in 15 dogs, with the ventral extremity of the spleen being most often abnormal. Four dogs were euthanized or died because of the presence of severe systemic disease, whereas 12 dogs underwent laparotomy. Complete splenectomy was performed in 9 dogs and partial splenectomy was performed in 2 dogs. Seven dogs died in the immediate postoperative period, 3 required chronic veterinary care, and 2 had uncomplicated long-term recoveries. Splenic infaraction should be regarded as a sign of altered blood flow and coagulation, rather than as a primary disease, and surgical management should be reserved for patients with life-threatening complications such as hemoabdomen or sepsis.
Short-range Ising spin glasses: the metastate interpretation of replica symmetry breaking.

Parisi's formal replica-symmetry-breaking (RSB) scheme for mean-field spin glasses has long been interpreted in terms of many pure states organized ultrametrically. However, the early version of this interpretation, as applied to the short-range Edwards-Anderson model, runs into problems because as shown by Newman and Stein (NS) it does not allow for chaotic size dependence, and predicts non-self-averaging that cannot occur. NS proposed the concept of the metastate (a probability distribution over infinite-size Gibbs states in a given sample that captures the effects of chaotic size dependence) and a nonstandard interpretation of the RSB results in which the metastate is nontrivial and is responsible for what was called non-self-averaging. In this picture, each state drawn from the metastate has the ultrametric properties of the old theory, but when the state is averaged using the metastate, the resulting mixed state has little structure. This picture was constructed so as to agree both with the earlier RSB results and with rigorous results. Here we use the effective field theory of RSB, in conjunction with the rigorous definitions of pure states and the metastate in infinite-size systems, to show that the nonstandard picture follows directly from the RSB mean-field theory. In addition, the metastate-averaged state possesses power-law correlations throughout the low-temperature phase; the corresponding exponent $\ensuremath{\zeta}$ takes the value 4 according to the field theory in high dimensions $d$, and describes the effective fractal dimension of clusters of spins. Further, the logarithm of the number of pure states in the decomposition of the metastate-averaged state that can be distinguished if only correlations in a window of size $W$ can be observed is of order ${W}^{d\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\zeta}}$. These results extend the nonstandard picture quantitatively; we show that arguments against this scenario are inconclusive. More generally, in terms of Parisi's function $q(x)$, if $q(0)\ensuremath{\ne}{\ensuremath{\int}}_{0}^{1}dx\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}q(x)$, then the metastate is nontrivial. In an Appendix, we also prove rigorously that the metastate-averaged state of the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model is a uniform distribution on all spin configurations at all temperatures.
Gendered Agendas: the Secrets Scholars Keep about Yoruba-Atlantic Religion

Whereas scholars have often described the material interests served by any given social group's selective narration of history, this article catches scholars in the act of selectively narrating Yoruba-Atlantic cultural history in the service of their own faraway activist projects. Anthropologist Ruth Landes' re-casting of the Afro-Brazilian Candombla religion as an instance of primitive matriarchy not only encouraged feminists abroad but also led Brazilian nationalist power-brokers to marginalise the male, and often reputedly homosexual, priests who give the lie to Landes's interpretation. In the service of a longdistance Yoruba nationalist agenda, sociologist Oyeronke Oyewumi has declared traditional Yoruba society ‘genderless’, and found, among both North American feminist scholars and Yoruba male scholars, allies in concealing the copious evidence of gender and gender inequality in Yoruba cultural history. What these historical constructions lack in truth value they make up for in their power to mobilise new communities and alliances around the defence of a shared secret. The article addresses how politically tendentious scholarship on gender has inspired new social hierarchies and boundaries through the truths that some high-profile scholars have chosen to silence.
Performance characterization of polarimetric active radar calibrators and a new single antenna design

Several topics associated with the use of a polarimetric active radar calibrator (PARC), which is a high radar-cross-section transponder with a known scattering matrix, are addressed. The first involves experimental measurements of the magnitudes and phases of the scattering-matrix elements of a pair of PARCs that operate at 1.25 GHz and 5.3 GHz. The measurements were conducted over a wide range of incidence angles (relative to the boresight direction) in the azimuth, elevation, 45 degrees , and 135 degrees planes. The 5.3-GHz PARC, which consisted of two antennas placed several wavelengths apart, exhibited symmetrical patterns with no ripples and excellent isolation between orthogonal polarization channels. The 1.25-GHz PARC, whose antennas were in very close proximity to one another, exhibited unsymmetrical patterns as well as ripples in the phase patterns, thereby introducing errors in the elements of the scattering matrix. To avoid this problem, a single-antenna PARC is designed,, using an orthomode transducer. The single-target calibration technique is extended so that it applies to the use of a PARC as well as reciprocal passive calibration devices such as spheres and trihedral corner reflectors. >
Characterizing the throughput gain of network coding in wireless ad hoc networks

Recent research on network coding (NC) shows that the wireless NC can improve the network throughput in multi-hop wireless ad hoc networks since it can exploit not only the broadcast nature of the wireless channel but also the native physical-layer coding ability by mixing simultaneously arriving radio waves at relay nodes. This paper characterizes the throughput gains of two wireless NC schemes, such as the conventional NC and the analog NC, over the traditional transmission scheduling scheme in wireless ad hoc networks. In particular, we first show the aggregate throughput gains of the conventional NC and analog NC are ( 2n ) / ( 2n - 1 ) and n / ( n - 1 ), respectively, for the n-way relay networks where n ges 2. Second, we formulate a general framework to solve the throughput optimization problem for the transmission scheduling schemes with or without wireless NC. Under this framework, we quantitatively analyze the aggregate throughput gain of wireless NC for different wireless ad hoc network topologies.
Laser-induced fluorescence detection of atherosclerotic plaque with hematoporphyrin derivative used as an exogenous probe.

Abstract Clinical use of laser angioplasty is limited by the lack of an adequate guidance system. As a first step toward developing a reliable guidance system, laser-induced surface fluorescence and a fluorescent probe were used to differentiate plaque from normal arterial wall. The aortas from four normal New Zealand white rabbits and six atherosclerotic rabbits were studied in vitro. Rabbits from each group received 2.5 mg/kg of hematoporphyrin derivative intravenously 24 hours before death. Segments of the aortas were irradiated with a helium-cadmium laser, and the tissue surface fluorescence spectra were recorded with an optical multichannel analyzer. A plaque index, based on the resulting spectra, was calculated for each specimen of aorta. The spectra from normal aorta without hematoporphyrin derivative, normal aorta with hematoporphyrin derivative, and from plaque of atherosclerotic rabbits without hematoporphyrin derivative showed the same wavelength dependence. The plaque index values were not significantly different from one another. However, in plaque from atherosclerotic rabbits given hematoporphyrin derivative, the spectrum was markedly different, showing a broad spectral peak at 632 nm. This spectral peak corresponds to the spectral peak of hematoporphyrin derivative and was only seen in the plaque of atherosclerotic rabbits given hematoporphyrin derivative. The plaque index for these specimens was significantly different from all other specimens (p
‘Balancing out’ infant torture and death: a reply to Chignell

In a recent article published in this journal, Andrew Chignell proposes some candidates for greater or «balancing out» goods that could explain why God allows some infants to be tortured to death. I argue that each of Chignell's proposals is either incoherent, metaphysically dubious, and/or morally objectionable. Thus, his proposals do not explain what might justify God in allowing infants to be tortured, and the existence of infant suffering remains a serious problem for traditional theism.
Pregnancy in postural tachycardia syndrome: clinical course and maternal and fetal outcomes.

Objective: Postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a disorder of the autonomic nervous system, predominantly occurs in women of child-bearing age. We set out to determine the clinical course and maternal and fetal outcomes in pregnant women with pre-existing POTS. Methods: Participants were asked to complete a detailed questionnaire assessing the clinical course of POTS before, during and after pregnancy, as well as complications of pregnancy, labor and delivery and fetal outcomes. Results: Among 10 women with pre-existing POTS (pregnancy age 28 ± 7 years, range 16–39), with a total of 17 live births, two were complicated by pre-eclampsia, 14 were normal vaginal deliveries and three were C-sections. The rate of severe vomiting or hyperemesis gravidarum in the first trimester was 59%. There were no stillbirths or congenital abnormalities. The average birth weight was 3076 ± 733 grams, with two infants born premature. During pregnancy, POTS symptoms were either improved or stable in six of 10 women, and four ...
The Current State of Knowledge About the Effects, Risks, and Science of Children’s Environmental Exposures

In the preface1 to this supplement, we pointed out that pediatricians and other clinicians have made major contributions to the discovery of environmental toxicants. Many acute illnesses that are caused by high exposures to some toxicants are clinically diagnosable or at least are commonly in the differential diagnosis, eg, organophosphate poisoning, infant botulism, acute lead encephalopathy, carbon monoxide poisoning, acrodynia, hypervitaminosis A and some cases of aplastic anemia, convulsions, asthma, respiratory distress, methemoglobinemia, Reyes syndrome, kernicterus, and many of the recognizable syndromes that result from exposures to teratogenic drugs and chemicals. In contrast to the obvious effects of high exposures to environmental toxicants, there is less information and less certainty concerning the magnitude of the contribution of many low exposures of environmental toxicants to morbidity, mortality, and subtle alterations in children as well as adults or how the effects of these exposures vary with age or chronicity of exposure. We also informed the readership that we were going to address the issue of environmental toxicology from both a clinical and a toxicologic viewpoint. Very low exposures to environmental toxicants may lead to diseases that resemble many common illnesses that have other causes, or they may lead to decrements in functioning that are subtle or nonspecific. It is an almost insurmountable task for individual practitioners to conclude a cause-and-effect relationship from low exposures to environmental toxicants among patients in the physician’s patient population. Only well-planned, sophisticated epidemiologic and animal studies can answer the questions that pertain to the toxicity of low-level exposures to environmental toxicants, given that not all individuals will be affected equally, if at all, at any particular level of exposure. Many of the previous multi-authored compendia that have been published by groups of scientists have been unified in their conclusions that environmental toxicants are a very serious … Reprint requests to (R.L.B.) Rm 308, R/A, Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Box 269, Wilmington, DE 19899. E-mail rbrent{at}nemours.org
Numerical analysis of plane cracks in strain-gradient elastic materials

The classical linear elastic fracture mechanics is not valid near the crack tip because of the unrealistic singular stress at the tip. The study of the physical nature of the deformation around the crack tip reveals the dominance of long-range atomic interactive forces. Unlike the classical theory which incorporates only short range forces, a higher-order continuum theory which could predict the effect of long range interactions at a macro scale would be appropriate to understand the deformation around the crack tip. A simplified theory of gradient elasticity proposed by Aifantis is one such grade-2 theory. This theory is used in the present work to numerically analyze plane cracks in strain-gradient elastic materials. Towards this end, a 36 DOF C1 finite element is used to discretize the displacement field. The results show that the crack tip singularity still persists but with a different nature which is physically more reasonable. A smooth closure of the structure of the crack tip is also achieved.
Adaptive rate-scheduling with reactive delay control for next generation CDMA wireless mobile systems

To minimize QoS degradations during nonstationary packet loadings, predictive rate schedulers adapt the operation according to anticipated packet arrival rates deduced via specified estimation algorithm. Existing predictive rate schedulers are developed under the assumption of perfect estimation, which may not be possible in future CDMA-based cellular networks characterized with highly nonstationary and bursty traffic. Additional shortcoming of existing rate schedulers is the coupling of delay and bandwidth, that is, close interdependence of delay and bandwidth (rate), whereby controlling one is accomplished solely by changing the other. In order to mitigate for the arrival rate estimation errors and delay-bandwidth coupling, this paper presents the feedback-enhanced target-tracking weighted fair queuing (FT-WFQ) rate scheduler. It is an adaptive rate scheduler over multiclass CDMA systems with predictive adaptation control to adapt to nonstationary loadings; and feedback-enhanced reactive adaptation control to counteract arrival rate estimation errors. When the predictive adaptation control is not able to maintain long-term delay targets, feedback information will trigger reactive adaptation control. The objective of FT-WFQ scheduler is to minimize deviations from delay targets subject to maximum throughput utilization. Analytical and simulation results indicate that FT-WFQ is able to substantially reduce degradations caused by arrival rate estimation errors and to minimize delay degradations during nonstationary loading conditions.
Evapotranspiration modelled from stands of three broad-leaved tropical trees in Costa Rica

To examine the impact of tree species on the water cycle in a wet tropical region, annual evapotranspiration (ET) was estimated in Costa Rican plantations of three native, broad-leaved tree species that contrasted strongly in leaf size, leaf area and phenology. Evapotranspiration was estimated using the Penman-Monteith equation for transpiration from the dry canopy, the equilibrium equation for evaporation from the understory and a modified Rutter model of interception for evaporation of water from the canopy when wetted by rainfall. Canopy conductance was estimated from stomatal conductance, leaf area and leaf boundary-layer conductance; canopy storage capacity and filling rate were estimated from throughfall measurements. Micrometeorological instruments were mounted on a scaffolding tower. Mean stomatal conductance, which ranged from 0?1 to 0?7 mol m-2 s-1, was similar to boundary-layer conductance, 0?1 to 0?5 mol m-2 s-1, indicating decoupling of stomata from atmospheric conditions. Mean canopy conductance varied from 0?6 to 0?7 mol m-2 s-1 in the 1994 wet season then dropped to 0?3-0?4 mol m-2 s-1 in stands of the two deciduous species, Cordia and Cedrela, as a result of reduced leaf area during the dry season. Despite increased understory evaporation, dry-season ET from these stands was only 78-81 f ET in stands of the evergreen species, Hyeronima. Maximum canopy water depth varied from 0?2 to 2?2 mm, causing modelled interception to vary from 6 o 25 f annual ET. Higher dry-season transpiration rates along with high rates of evaporation of intercepted rainfall in all seasons led to 14 igher annual ET in Hyeronima stands (1509 mm) than in stands of the species with lowest ET, Cedrela (1318 mm). Despite lack of strong physiological control on transpiration, tree species in wet tropical plantations can influence hydrological balance
Transmission Efficiency and Epidemiology of Criniviruses

An emergence of numerous whitefly-transmitted criniviruses has followed the increase in whitefly populations over the last decade throughout the world (Wintermantel 2004a). The impact of these criniviruses on vegetable and fruit production has created a critical need for better understanding of host range and vector relationships in order to develop effective and efficient management practices. Criniviruses have large bipartite RNA genomes encoding several open reading frames (ORFs). RNA1 encodes functions involved in virus replication, while RNA2 encodes up to 7 ORFs involved in virion assembly and vector transmission in addition to several other functions, many of which remain to be determined (Karasev 2000). Virions are encapsidated into long flexuous rods averaging between 650 and 900 nm in length.
Time-dependent numerical simulation of ablation-controlled arcs

A zero-dimension (0-D) time-dependent code (ZEUS) developed to simulate ablation-controlled arc (ACA) behavior is discussed. The code includes energy transport, equation-of-state, and electrical resistivity models. Particular attention is given to the equation-of-state and the determination of the charged state of multicomponent plasma under local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) conditions. The 0-D model is self-consistently solved by the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method. The numerical simulation of ZEUS was compared with both experimental and other theoretical results. Comparison with experimental results demonstrates that the numerical simulation can correctly predict the behavior of ACAs. >
Transnational “Maquiladora'’Location

Abstract Assembly manufactures in Mexico whose production is primarily destined for export markets are referred to as maquiladoras. Maquiladoras are a growth industry generating the second largest source of foreign exchange earnings, and the country is increasingly the location of choice for (U.S.) labor-intensive manufactures. This research is an analysis of transnational assembly plant location and is organized on the premise that transnational location can be viewed as a problem of scale. At an international scale, the product life cycle provides a conceptual framework for an understanding of industrial relocation. Labor costs for industries in the later stage of their product cycle are the primary explanation for manufacturing locational change. Data on location decisions at an intranational scale were obtained by telephone and personal interviews with 300 maquila plant managers. The responses reveal that maquilas are regionally oriented along the Mexican border with reference to U.S. markets and pare...
Modulation of exon skipping and inclusion by heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1 and pre-mRNA splicing factor SF2/ASF.

The essential splicing factor SF2/ASF and the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1 (hnRNP A1) modulate alternative splicing in vitro of pre-mRNAs that contain 5' splice sites of comparable strengths competing for a common 3' splice site. Using natural and model pre-mRNAs, we have examined whether the ratio of SF2/ASF to hnRNP A1 also regulates other modes of alternative splicing in vitro. We found that an excess of SF2/ASF effectively prevents inappropriate exon skipping and also influences the selection of mutually exclusive tissue-specific exons in natural beta-tropomyosin pre-mRNA. In contrast, an excess of hnRNP A1 does not cause inappropriate exon skipping in natural constitutively or alternatively spliced pre-mRNAs. Although hnRNP A1 can promote alternative exon skipping, this effect is not universal and is dependent, e.g., on the size of the internal alternative exon and on the strength of the polypyrimidine tract in the preceding intron. With appropriate alternative exons, an excess of SF2/ASF promotes exon inclusion, whereas an excess of hnRNP A1 causes exon skipping. We propose that in some cases the ratio of SF2/ASF to hnRNP A1 may play a role in regulating alternative splicing by exon inclusion or skipping through the antagonistic effects of these proteins on alternative splice site selection.
Predictors of Maternal Sensitivity to Infant Distress

SYNOPSIS Objective. The present study was designed to examine the extent to which mothers' emotional (i.e., empathy, negative emotions) and cognitive (i.e., accurate detection of distress, goals about infant crying, and emotion efficacy) responses to infant distress are related to maternal sensitivity in tasks designed to elicit infant distress. The author assessed mothers' emotional and cognitive responses to distress both prenatally in response to unfamiliar infants and postnatally in response to own infant. Also, the author examined the extent to which pre- and postnatal measures correlated with one another and with sensitivity to distress. Design. The author interviewed 101 mothers prenatally about their responses to videotapes of crying infants, then videotaped mothers interacting with their own infants at 6-months postpartum in 2 emotionally arousing tasks during which maternal sensitivity and infant distress were rated, and subsequently interviewed mothers about their thoughts and feelings during t...
ARRIpede: A stick-slip micro crawler/conveyor robot constructed via 2 ½D MEMS assembly

Recent advances in 2frac12D and 3D hybrid microassembly using MEMS snap fasteners and die-level bonding for interconnects, makes possible the miniaturization of exciting new small robots configured for various functions, such as flying, crawling, or jumping. ARRIpede is one example of a ldquodie-sizerdquo crawling microrobot constructed by assembly and die stacking. It consists of a MEMS die ldquobodyrdquo, in-plane electrothermal actuators, vertically assembled legs, and an electronic ldquobackpackrdquo to generate the necessary gait sequence. The robot has been designed using a stick-slip simulation model for a target volume of 1.5 cm times 1.5 cm times 0.5 cm, a 3.8 g mass, and velocities up to 3 mm/s. Even though work remains to be completed in packaging the robot, we demonstrated that the robot design is sound by experimentally evaluating the leg actuation force, the payload carrying capacity, the power consumption, and the manipulation ability of an inverted ARRIpede prototype. A configuration that carries a payload approximately equal to its own weight shows excellent steering ability. A reasonable match between simulations and experiments is noted, for example, when the legs are actuated at 45 Hz and 10 V, the crawling velocity of the microrobot was experimentally measured to be 0.84 mm/s or 18.7 mum per step, while the simulated leg displacement was 18.5 mum per step. The prototyped ldquoconveyorrdquo mode had a maximum measured linear velocity in excess of 1.5 mm/s, while consuming approximately 500 mW of power. We expect that for achieving lower speeds, such as 0.15 mm/s, the power consumption can be reduced to a few mW, enabling untethered operation.
Efficacy Of Topical Amoxicillin Plus Clavulanate/Ticarcillin Plus Clavulanate And Clindamycin In Contaminated Head And Neck Surgery: Effect Of Antibiotic Spectra And Duration Of Therapy

This prospective, randomized trial was designed to determine the efficacy and mechanism of action of topical mouthwash versus parenterally administered perioperative prophylactic antibiotics in contaminated head and neck surgery. Patients were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatment groups: 1 day of parenteral clindamycin (standard prophylaxis), 1 day of topical clindamycin, 5 days of topical clindamycin, or 1 day of topical amoxicillin plus clavulanate/ticarcillin plus clavulanate. Patients who received the latter regimen had fewer bacteria postoperatively compared with the other 3 treatment groups. The number of gram-negative aerobic bacilli on postoperative oral cavity cultures was increased in all 3 clindamycin groups but not in the amoxicillin plus clavulanate/ticarcillin plus clavulanate group. Parenteral clindamycin appears to exert its effect by being in the neck tissues at the time of surgery; however, all 3 topical regimens were more effective at reducing the number of bacteria in the neck viscera. Topical antibiotic prophylaxis was simple, safe, effective, and well tolerated.
Spatiotemporal selectivity of response to Notch1 signals in mammalian forebrain precursors

The olfactory bulb, neocortex and archicortex arise from a common pool of progenitors in the dorsal telencephalon. We studied the consequences of supplying excess Notch1 signal in vivo on the cellular and regional destinies of telencephalic precursors using bicistronic replication defective retroviruses. After ventricular injections mid-neurogenesis (E14.5), activated Notch1 retrovirus markedly inhibited the generation of neurons from telencephalic precursors, delayed the emergence of cells from the subventricular zone (SVZ), and produced an augmentation of glial progeny in the neo- and archicortex. However, activated Notch1 had a distinct effect on the progenitors of the olfactory bulb, markedly reducing the numbers of cells of any type that migrated there. To elucidate the mechanism of the cell fate changes elicited by Notch1 signals in the cortical regions, short- and long-term cultures of E14.5 telencephalic progenitors were examined. These studies reveal that activated Notch1 elicits a cessation of proliferation that coincides with an inhibition of the generation of neurons. Later, during gliogenesis, activated Notch1 triggers a rapid cellular proliferation with a significant increase in the generation of cells expressing GFAP. To examine the generation of cells destined for the olfactory bulb, we used stereotaxic injections into the early postnatal anterior subventricular zone (SVZa). We observed that precursors of the olfactory bulb responded to Notch signals by remaining quiescent and failing to give rise to differentiated progeny of any type, unlike cortical precursor cells, which generated glia instead of neurons. These data show that forebrain precursors vary in their response to Notch signals according to spatial and temporal cues, and that Notch signals influence the composition of forebrain regions by modulating the rate of proliferation of neural precursor cells.
Intestinal epithelium-derived BMP controls stem cell self-renewal in Drosophila adult midgut

Keeping an organ in top condition requires a steady supply of fresh cells to replace those that are dead or damaged. This is particularly critical for the epithelial cells lining the intestines, which only live for a few days, but are necessary for digesting food. These cells cannot simply reproduce by cell division, so they must be replenished by adult stem cells—adaptable cells that can produce any of the cell types found in a given organ. When an adult stem cell divides, two daughter cells are produced. Normally, one of these remains in the stem state, and the other becomes a particular type of cell for use in the organ. Exactly how each daughter cell knows what to become is unclear. However, it is known that in addition to communicating with each other, stem cells also communicate with their immediate surroundings, which is known as a niche. For many processes, the molecules and mechanisms used in niche signaling remain to be discovered. The midgut of fruit flies presents a relatively simple stem cell system for study, and has the added advantage that its cells behave in ways that are similar to the cells that make up the intestines of mammals. By developing a method of tracking the two daughter cells of a single stem cell simultaneously, Tian and Jiang have been able to uncover new details about how this niche operates. Epithelial cells in the gut produce molecules called bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) that influence how bone and many other types of body tissues form. Tian and Jiang have found that two types of BMP are the signals responsible for keeping daughter cells in the stem state. When released from the base of the epithelial cells, BMPs can only travel a very short distance before other proteins trap them. As a result, one of a pair of daughter cells receives a higher level of the signal and remains as a stem cell. This cell then sends a signal to the other daughter cell, telling it to form a specialized cell.
Down-Regulation of WAVE3, a Metastasis Promoter Gene, Inhibits Invasion and Metastasis of Breast Cancer Cells

The expression of WAVE3, an actin-cytoskeleton and reorganization protein, is elevated in malignant human breast cancer, yet the role of WAVE3 in promoting tumor progression remains undefined. We have recently shown that knockdown of WAVE3 expression in human breast adenocarcinoma MDA-MB-231 cells using small interfering RNA resulted in a significant reduction of cell motility, migration, and invasion, which correlated with a reduction in the levels of active p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. Here, we investigated the effect of stable suppression of WAVE3 by short hairpin RNA on tumor growth and metastasis in xenograft models. Breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells expressing short hairpin RNA to WAVE3 (shWAVE3) showed a significant reduction in Matrigel invasion and formation of lung colonies after tail-vein injection in SCID mice. In the orthotopic model, we observed a reduction in growth rate of the primary tumors, as well as in the metastases to the lungs. We also show that suppression of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activity by dominant-negative p38 results in comparable phenotypes to the knockdown of WAVE3. These studies provide direct evidence that the WAVE3-p38 pathway contributes to breast cancer progression and metastasis.
A synchronization algorithm for distributed systems

Synchronization is an important aspect of computing. System performance can be greatly reduced if an inefficient synchronization algorithm is used. llere we propose an algorithm for achieving mutual exclusion, a major task of synchronization, for distributed systems using a tournament approach. In the algorithm, a request message is passed from a leaf node to the root node, and then back to the leaf node again, signaling that a process is permitted to enter the critical section. A lluffman coding technique is used to minimize the number of messages required and to reduce the bound of delay. Iligh fault tolerance is achieved through backtracking the messages that have been acknowledged by the faulty node.
Examining the Screening Practices of Physicians for Postpartum Depression: Implications for Improving Health Outcomes

Abstract Purpose Postpartum depression (PPD), the most common complication of childbirth, remains largely undetected by providers. Pediatricians, obstetricians/gynecologists, and family practitioners have a responsibility to identify PPD as the condition has long-term adverse effects on their patients. Methods Using PubMed and PsycInfo databases, this review explores and summarizes studies on the screening practices of physicians. Findings The prevalence and method of screening their patients for PPD was low and variable among the three types of physicians. Pediatricians were the least likely to screen compared with obstetricians/gynecologists and family practitioners. However, the majority of all physicians felt it was within their professional purview to screen for PPD and were willing to learn more about PPD detection. Conclusions Screening rates can increase if physicians are educated about PPD and trained on the ease of routinely using a validated tool to identify PPD. This is critical, because more detection can lead to improved access to treatment, and the long-term detrimental impact that untreated PPD has on a mother and her children might be mitigated.
The association between energy taxation, participation in an emissions trading system, and the intensity of carbon dioxide emissions in the European Union

Abstract Energy taxes are intended to internalize the costs of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to incentivize reductions in GHG emissions; evaluating whether taxes have the desired effect on emissions is an important research question. A second tool to incentivize GHG reductions is an emissions trading system (ETS). We examine data across countries in the EU from 1996 to 2009 and find that as implicit tax rates on energy increased, carbon intensity of emissions decreased. Further, participation in an ETS also resulted in a significant reduction in overall carbon intensity. Carbon emissions can be reduced by using fuel with a lower carbon content (effectiveness) or by using less fuel per unit of output (efficiency); we decompose overall carbon intensity into effectiveness and efficiency measures. We find that as implicit tax rates on energy increased, efficiency measure improved, but effectiveness did not. The EU introduced the ETS in 2005, and we find that while participation in an ETS reduced carbon intensity, it also changed the relation between implicit tax rates on energy and carbon intensity. Specifically, there is a significant inverse relationship between implicit tax rates on energy and all three carbon intensity measures prior to the imposition of the ETS, but after imposition of the ETS, implicit tax rates on energy are only significantly inversely related to the efficiency measure. We suggest that the need to immediately reduce emissions below a specified cap encourages companies to focus on efficiency measures with immediate results, potentially at the expense of effectiveness initiatives. These trade-offs have potential implications for long-run policy outcomes.
Digitization as a preservation method for damaged acetate negatives: A case study

Digitization is widely recognized as an access tool for archival materials, but it is not universally accepted as a preservation method. In certain cases, however, digitization is the most feasible option for recovering and preserving content. Acetate photographic negatives are a case in point. Deteriorated negatives off-gas acetic acid resulting in warping and shrinkage that can cause severe damage. It can be difficult and expensive to salvage the information content of the images using traditional photographic methods. This article examines the decision made at the University of Southern Mississippi to use digitization as a preservation strategy to capture the visual content from highly damaged acetate negatives.
Inadvertent Disclosure: Rules of Professional Conduct vs. Procedure

With the rise in use of technology in law practice, the problem of inadvertent disclosure is as prevalent as ever. New York’s former Code of Professional Responsibility contained no provision for inadvertent disclosure, but as of April 2009, with New York’s switch to the Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 4.4 went into effect. However, Rule 4.4(b) only directs the recipient of inadvertently disclosed information to notify the sender so corrective measures can be taken. The Rule has, in fact, made matters less clear. This article discusses actions that attorneys in litigation should take when they receive inadvertently disclosed information. It is clear that Rule 4.4(b) is not the only section at play in these situations, and that those merely following Rule 4.4(b) could be sanctioned based on New York law.
Peer victimization and social anxiety: an exploration of coping strategies as mediators

This study examined the relationship between recalled peer victimization, coping styles, and current social anxiety. College students (N = 298, 87.9% female) completed a demographic questionnaire, the Recalled Victimization Questionnaire- Revised (RVQ-R), the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation (BFNE), and the Coping Styles Questionnaire (CSQ). Three separate linear regression analyses were performed to test for mediation of coping style on the relationship among peer victimization and symptoms of social anxiety. Emotional coping was confirmed as a partially mediating variable between peer victimization and social anxiety through Sobel’s (1982) test for mediation. The results of this mediational analysis emphasize the importance of focusing on coping strategies among adolescents who experience peer victimization.
Transporting Forensic Psychiatric Patients

Patients in a forensic psychiatric facility often require escorted transport to medical facilities for investigations or treatments of physical health ailments. Transporting these patients presents significant safety and custody challenges because of the nature of patients housed in forensic psychiatric facilities. A significant proportion of these patients may be transfers from the Department of Corrections (DOC) under legal mandates for psychiatric evaluation and treatment better provided in a hospital setting, and most of them will return to the DOC. Although departments of correction have protocols for escorting these potentially dangerous individuals, it is unclear whether receiving psychiatric hospitals have established procedures for maintaining the safety of others and custody of these individuals during transportation outside the hospital facility. The literature is sparse on precautions to be observed when transporting dangerous forensic psychiatric patients, including those with high escape risk. In this article, we describe one forensic inpatient facility's procedure for determining the appropriate level needed to transport these individuals outside of the forensic facility. We also describe the risk assessment procedure for determining level of transport. These are quality improvement measures resulting from a critical review of an incident of escape from the forensic facility several years ago.