cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sudden end of an interglacial

For the past 9,000 years or so the world has experienced an interglacial period, with (in terms of geological time) an anomalously warm and stable climate. But how stable are interglacials, and what processes might bring them to a sudden close? Evidence from a 53-metre-long sediment core, retrieved from the Bermuda Rise in the western North Atlantic, now gives us the most detailed picture yet of events during the previous interglacial. The results date the period concerned to between 129,000 and 119,000 years ago. Most notably, however, its termination seems to have been marked by a sudden reduction in the ocean 'conveyor' circulation which today carries ocean heat north from the tropics and warms much of Europe.
The College of New Jersey First Year Experience: A Learning Partnership:

Here is a first-year experience program that has succeeded in integrating academic rigor with a variety of cocurricular experiences, including a strong service-learning program. The result is a tru...
Siblings of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities: Their knowledge and perspectives on guardianship and its alternatives.

BACKGROUND Siblings of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) often support their brothers and sisters through caregiving and guardianship. METHODS In this qualitative study, the knowledge and views of 10 adult siblings were explored. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS The tripartite impact of limited knowledge of guardianship and alternatives, the viewpoint of full guardianship as necessary and the desired/anticipated roles of siblings combined to create the Sibling Reciprocal Effect (SRE). The present authors define SRE as the phenomenon of siblings to recognize the applicability of complementary forms of guardianship for other adults with IDD, but fail to see the advantage of available decision-making alternatives with their own brothers/sisters. Instead, siblings defer to full guardianship as the preferred mechanism for decision making. Implications for practitioners include informing families of the full range of options for supporting persons with IDD in decision making. Future research suggestions include examining the elements of the SRE and siblings' knowledge regarding guardianship and the alternatives.
The Development and Functional Validation of Engineered Microvessels Using Microfluidic Devices

Microfluidic technologies have enabled in vitro studies to closely simulate the in vivo microvessel environment with sufficient complexity. However, the lack of functional validation has prevented ...
Witches Still Fly: Or Do They? Traditional Witches, Wiccans, and Flying Ointment

While Wicca has become somewhat socially accepted in recent years, a split has developed between its practitioners and self-styled “traditional witches”, who seek inspiration in the tales generated by the witch trials: of sabbaths, of pacts, of flying, of communication with the dead. Discussion of “flying ointment”—literally a homemade ointment containing psychotropic herbs, but which might also be extended metaphorically to include other entheogens—has become something of a shibboleth to distinguish between those Pagan witchcraft or Wiccan groups that seek a degree of respectability and those that spurn it. It furthermore offers a lens through which to examine claims of authenticity and claims of secrecy in contemporary witchcraft. In doing so, it draws upon the notion of “secretism”, the idea that the impression of an individual or group possessing secrets is more important than the actual content of those secrets.
Digital custom implant impression technique for capturing the acquired emergence profile.

Abstract A digital method for capturing the acquired emergence profile from contoured implant interim restorations is described. Three separate digital scans were made by using an intraoral scanner and aligned by using a design software program capable of merging and alignment. The Boolean Difference function was then performed by using a free software program to obtain the emergence profile. This technique may be less time-consuming than analog methods and may be more accurate than existing digital methods.
Youth Needs at Intake into Trauma-Informed Group Homes and Response to Services: An Examination of Trauma Exposure, Symptoms, and Clinical Impression

Trauma-informed care is recommended to improve the quality of group home services for youth. Youth exposure to trauma and associated symptoms are important factors involved in making the clinical impression that determines treatment services. This study considered three dimensions of trauma (exposure, symptoms, and clinical impression) to determine associations with behavioral incidents of youth in trauma-informed group homes and how trauma was related to changes in psychopathology from intake to discharge. Archival records of youth (N = 1,096), age 9-18 (M = 15.7 years) who received services from January 2013 to December 2017, and departed the program were used. Statistical procedures included hierarchical linear modeling and analysis of covariance. Results indicated trauma symptoms predicted emotional problems and self-injurious behavior. Youth in high- and low-trauma groups both showed decreases in behavioral incidents and psychopathology, but clinical impression of trauma moderated the change in emotional problems from intake to discharge. Youth deemed by clinicians to have lower trauma (based on history of maltreatment and expression of trauma symptoms) had greater decrease in emotional problems from admission to discharge. Limitations and implications for further research on implementation and effectiveness of trauma-informed models are discussed.
3D Printed Thermoplastic Polyurethane Bladder for Manufacturing of Fiber Reinforced Composites

Abstract The Bladder Assisted Composite Manufacturing (BACM) technique allows fabrication of complex hollow composite geometries. However, traditional bladder manufacturing methods require multiple steps and a master geometry which increases the cost and the manufacturing time. Hence, additively manufactured bladders are presented as an alternative solution to bladders manufactured through traditional methods. The use of printed bladders is demonstrated by consolidating and curing a composite part made out of an aerospace grade composite prepreg material, IM7/8552. Bladders are additively manufactured using the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technique with Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU). Based on the results of a thermomechanical investigation of the TPU, a two-step curing cycle for manufacturing a composite part with IM7/8552 prepreg was designed. The part consolidation achieved with this method was characterized by measuring void content and comparing it to the void content in a sample cured in a standard autoclave process. The low void content achieved with the BACM method demonstrated the potential of this technology for providing bladders for short production runs or prototyping.
Analysis of the Effect of the Novel Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor, Depsipeptide (FK228/FR901228) on Mantle Cell Lymphoma.

Abstract Background: Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) comprises approximately 3–5% of the non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and the vast majority of these patients are incurable. Histone deacetylases (HDAC) inhibitors are a new class of chemotherapeutic drugs that have been shown to inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in a variety of malignancies. Depsipeptide (FK228/FR901228) is a novel inhibitor of class I HDAC and was shown to be effective in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Design: A MCL cell line, JeKo-1 was treated with varying concentrations of depsipeptide and analyzed for evidence of apoptosis. Apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry (Annexin and 7AAD staining) and by microscopic examination. The effect on the status of H3 histone acetylation and changes in the expression of the Bcl-2 family proteins (Bcl-2, Bcl-xl and Mcl-1) following treatment with depsipeptide were investigated by flow cytometric evaluation. Requirement for de novo protein synthesis and activation of JNK in depsipeptide-induced apoptosis was analyzed by treatment with cycloheximide (CHX) and JNK inhibitor (SP600125) prior to addition of depsipeptide respectively. The effect of depsipeptide in 5 primary MCL patient samples was then analyzed for morphologic evidence of apoptosis. Results: Depsipeptide (0.25 mM/L; 80%apoptosis) induced marked apoptosis in JeKo-1 cells and this was shown to be a dose dependent fashion following 12 hours incubation. There was increase in H3 acetylation, after treatment with depsipeptide. Bcl-2, Bcl-xl and Mcl-1 showed decreased expression in the depsipeptide treated samples. Treatment with CHX (100ng/ml and 500ng/ml) and SP600125 (20ml/L) had no effect to the ability of depsipeptide-induced apoptosis. Primary MCL cells of 5 patients also showed marked apoptosis with depsipeptide treatment. Conclusion: Depsipeptide causes increased H3 acetylation and induces apoptosis in MCL cell line and primary MCL cells. The mitochondrial apoptotic pathway is possibly altered by the depsipeptide treatment causing apoptosis, by down-regulation of Bcl-2, Bcl-xl and Mcl-1 proteins. Based on the recent phase I clinical trial demonstrating clinical response in cutaneous T cell lymphoma, our study supports the potential clinical utilization of depsipeptide in patients with MCL.
North American River Otters Followed by Piscivorous Birds, and a River Otter Parental Distraction Display

We observed 2 Lontra canadensis (North American River Otter), likely an adult female and her nearly-grown pup, on a fall 2018 afternoon at a remote lake in Piscataquis County, ME. We witnessed 2 notable animal behaviors, a possible bird-otter foraging association and a River Otter parental display, serendipitously while canoeing. An Ardea herodias (Great Blue Heron) and a Megaceryle alcyon (Belted Kingfisher) watched and followed the River Otters as they fished along the shore of a small cove of the lake. Although neither bird was seen to strike directly at or eat a fish during this episode, the behavior of the piscivorous birds was suggestive of a foraging association with the River Otters, a novel observation in North America. After fishing, the River Otters began traveling along the lake shore and noticed the canoeing human observers. Upon becoming aware of the canoe, the pup apparently hid as the adult female swam toward the canoe while noisily blowing. She then dove and resurfaced farther away from her pup's last-seen position. This routine was repeated several times until the observers paddled away from the female. Despite the large behavioral repertoire known for otters generally, this parental distraction display has not been previously reported.
Unraveling proteasome engagement.

A new study reveals that, in addition to its longstanding role in recruiting proteins to the proteasome, ubiquitination can also induce a structural destabilization that allows the target protein to be efficiently unraveled for degradation.
Disparate Patterns of Movements and Visits to Points of Interests Located in Urban Hotspots across U.S. Metropolitan Cities during COVID-19

We examined the effect of social distancing on changes in visits to urban hotspot points of interest. Urban hotspots, such as central business districts, are gravity activity centers orchestrating movement and mobility patterns in cities. In a pandemic situation, urban hotspots could be potential superspreader areas as visits to urban hotspots can increase the risk of contact and transmission of a disease among a population. We mapped origin-destination networks from census block groups to points of interest (POIs) in sixteen cities in the United States. We adopted a coarse-grain approach to study movement patterns of visits to POIs among the hotspots and non-hotspots from January to May 2020. Also, we conducted chi-square tests to identify POIs with significant flux-in changes during the analysis period. The results showed disparate patterns across cities in terms of reduction in POI visits to hotspot areas. The sixteen cities are divided into two categories based on visits to POIs in hotspot areas. In one category, which includes the cities of, San Francisco, Seattle, and Chicago, we observe a considerable decrease in visits to POIs in hotspot areas, while in another category, including the cites of, Austin, Houston, and San Diego, the visits to hotspot areas did not greatly decrease during the social distancing period. In addition, while all the cities exhibited overall decreasing visits to POIs, one category maintained the proportion of visits to POIs in the hotspots. The proportion of visits to some POIs (e.g., Restaurant and Other Eating Places) remained stable during the social distancing period, while some POIs had an increased proportion of visits (e.g., Grocery Stores). The findings highlight that social distancing orders do yield disparate patterns of reduction in movements to hotspots POIs.
Microfabrication Process-Driven Design, FEM Analysis and System Modeling of 3-DoF Drive Mode and 2-DoF Sense Mode Thermally Stable Non-Resonant MEMS Gyroscope.

This paper presents microfabrication process-driven design of a multi-degree of freedom (multi-DoF) non-resonant electrostatic microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) gyroscope by considering the design constraints of commercially available low-cost and widely-used silicon-on-insulator multi-user MEMS processes (SOIMUMPs), with silicon as a structural material. The proposed design consists of a 3-DoF drive mode oscillator with the concept of addition of a collider mass which transmits energy from the drive mass to the passive sense mass. In the sense direction, 2-DoF sense mode oscillator is used to achieve dynamically-amplified displacement in the sense mass. A detailed analytical model for the dynamic response of MEMS gyroscope is presented and performance characteristics are validated through finite element method (FEM)-based simulations. The effect of operating air pressure and temperature variations on the air damping and resulting dynamic response is analyzed. The thermal stability of the design and corresponding effect on the mechanical and capacitive sensitivity, for an operating temperature range of −40 °C to 100 °C, is presented. The results showed that the proposed design is thermally stable, robust to environmental variations, and process tolerances with a wide operational bandwidth and high sensitivity. Moreover, a system-level model of the proposed gyroscope and its integration with the sensor electronics is presented to estimate the voltage sensitivity under the constraints of the readout electronic circuit.
Paecilomyces niveus as a Wound-Infecting Pathogen of Citrus: Oranges and Clementines

Paecilomyces niveus is a heat-resistant mold that can spoil fruit products including orange juice, potentially introducing the regulated mycotoxin patulin. The authors hypothesize this fungus may e...
Susceptibility of North Carolina Chloridea (Heliothis) virescens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Populations From Flue Cured Tobacco to Chlorantraniliprole.

The tobacco budworm, Chloridea (Heliothis) virescens (F.), has evolved resistance to numerous insecticides in the field. In tobacco, chlorantraniliprole can be applied as either a preventative systemic soil application at or near transplant, or a foliar application timed to current treatment thresholds. With a novel mode of action chlorantraniliprole provides an option for rotation with other insecticides to reduce the probability of insecticide resistance development. However, specific usage patterns in tobacco have the potential to increase the risk of resistance development to this insecticide. In particular, soil applied treatments may expose C. virescens to sublethal concentrations of the insecticide. We studied chlorantraniliprole susceptibility in nine field populations and one laboratory strain of C. virescens using a diet incorporation bioassay. Mortality was measured at 7, 10, and 14 d after exposure. Our results demonstrated that bioassays should be evaluated at 14 d after exposure to optimize interpretation of the dose–response due to the antifeeding properties of chlorantraniliprole. We observed low variation within field-collected populations. Field populations were as susceptible as the laboratory strain; the resistance ratio at the 14-d evaluation for field-collected populations ranged from 1.01 to 1.05. A discriminating dose of 0.117, 0.080, and 0.070 µg a.i./g diet could be used at 7, 10, and 14 d, respectively. Larval growth varied between field populations. Two field populations continued growing on diet containing chlorantraniliprole and differed in size from the laboratory and other populations. Further evaluation of growth inhibition will be necessary.
ANALYSIS OF SCIENTIFIC MODELS TO THE PROBLEM OF APPLICATIONS THROUGH EPISTEMOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES IN PSYCHOLOGY

The article will identify the key points of the epistemological principles in psychology as well as will educate about the approaches and their usefulness well as some background information related to the models that have been previously studied in the field of Psychology. The models aim to focus on the knowledge and the comparison between justified belief and opinion. Moreover, they also try to educate the aspects of cognitive processing’s which may include the argumentative processes, how one perceives the world experiences through epistemological assumptions. Current trends in psychological research are explained in the article through epistemological principles. In addition to the descriptions of each psychological study, which used epistemological methods to study the thought processes of various populated samples, a comparative analysis is also provided.
Potatoes, Citrus and Coffee Under Threat

Four familiar breakfast foods, coffee, oranges, bananas and potatoes provide current examples of the challenge to food security posed by plant diseases. Potato late blight, a disease with a historical link to famine and a continued threat to a staple crop; huanglongbing, a devastating disease that threatens the citrus industry; coffee leaf rust, a disease that compromises a commodity and the livelihoods of those who service it; and Fusarium wilt of bananas, a globally damaging disease with a virulent race that is currently spreading. What if these morning staples were to become scarce or unavailable? This chapter reflects the discussions of an expert panel at a public meeting, held as part of the 2018 international Congress of Plant Pathology at Harvard Museum of Science and Culture. The focus of the panel that included specialists in plant pathology and in food security, is on emerging diseases, covering topics that include the evolution of plant pathogens, tracking how they spread around the globe, and strategies to combat plant diseases that are threatening global food security.
Isolation and characterization of ceramide glycanase from the leech, Macrobdella decora.

Abstract We have devised a simple method for achieving 890-fold purification of ceramide glycanase with 17% recovery from a North American leech, Macrobdella decora. The method includes water extraction, ammonium sulfate fractionation, and chromatography on octyl-Sepharose, Matrex gel blue A, and Bio-Gel A-0.5m columns. The final preparation showed one major protein band at 54 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. By using Bio-Gel A-0.5m filtration, the native enzyme was found to have a molecular mass of 330 kDa. With GM1 as substrate, the optimum pH of this enzyme was determined to be 5.0; the enzyme was stable between pH 4.5 and 8.5. Zn2+ at 5 mM and Cu2+, Ag+, and Hg2+ at 1 mM strongly inhibited the hydrolysis of GM1 by ceramide glycanase. The ceramide glycanase released the intact glycan chain from various glycosphingolipids in which the glycan chain is linked to the ceramide through a beta-glucosyl linkage. This enzyme also cleaved lyso-glycosphingolipids such as lyso-GM1 and lyso-LacCer and synthetic alkyl beta-lactosides. Among seven alkyl beta-lactosides tested, the enzyme only hydrolyzed the ones with an alkyl chain length of four or more carbons. The enzyme also hydrolyzed 2-(octadecylthio)ethyl O-beta-lactoside and 2-(2-carbomethoxyethylthio)ethyl O-beta-lactoside. p-Nitrophenyl, benzyl, and phytyl beta-lactosides, on the other hand, were not hydrolyzed. These results suggest that the enzyme can recognize the hydrophobic portion of glycolipid substrates. The fact that 2-(2-carbomethoxyethylthio)ethyl O-beta-N-acetyllactosaminide and DiGalCer were refractory to the enzyme indicated that in the substrate the first sugar attached to the hydrophobic chain cannot be N-acetylglucosamine and galactose. Furthermore, dodecyl maltoside, Gal alpha 1----6Glc beta Cer, and the LacCer in which the --CH2OH of the galactose was converted into --CHO were also resistant to the enzyme, and Man beta 1----4 Glc beta Cer was hydrolyzed at a much slower rate than LacCer. These results indicate that the nature and the linkage of the sugar attached to the glucose have a profound effect on the action of this enzyme. The hydrolysis of glycosphingolipids by ceramide glycanase is stimulated by bile salts. Among various bile salts tested, sodium cholate at a concentration of 1 microgram/microliter was found to be most effective in stimulating the hydrolysis of various glycosphingolipids with the exception of LacCer. For LacCer, sodium taurodeoxycholate at a concentration of 2-3 micrograms/microliters was most effective. Tween 20, Nonidet P-40, and Triton X-100 did not stimulate the hydrolysis of GM1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Cooperative Patent Prosecution: Viewing Patents Through a Pragmatics Lens

Conversation is easy. We communicate with other people every day without giving conscious thought as to how we understand the information exchanged in the course of the conversation. Patents, by contrast, are hard. Understanding information conveyed by a patent is difficult, despite deliberate and conscious efforts to shape or improve the process. Scholars have not yet seen the connection between the two concepts. We have not viewed patents as conversation – but perhaps we should. Viewing patents as conversations allows us to tap into a rich body of scholarship from the pragmatics branch of linguistics – the study of language and how we understand it – and turn traditional wisdom about interpretation of patents on its head. Understanding patents can be as easy as having a conversation. What needs to change is not the interpretation process, but rather the conversation itself. The key difference between everyday conversation and patents is the lack of cooperation in patent prosecution, the conversations that give rise to patents. If we can create a greater air of cooperation in the patent acquisition process, then we can rely on linguistics to help understand what is being conveyed. We can make interpretation of patents much more like understanding everyday conversation – easy.
Dynamic channel management in MIMO OFDM cellular systems: Research Articles

We consider dynamic channel management (DCM), more specifically power control and channel allocation, in multi-carrier multi-antenna wireless cellular systems. A quasi-static channel model is assumed such that the channels remain approximately time-invariant within each packet. On a packet-by-packet basis, the mobile station (MS) receivers feed back the DCM parameters to the corresponding base station (BS) transmitters in order to minimize the transmission power and strive to satisfy every individual user's data-rate request. While optimum, centralized DCM for all active cells typically requires solution of a non-convex optimization problem (which is subject to local minima) and requires intense channel feedback to a central controller. We instead consider sub-optimal distributed DCM, where each individual cell locally optimizes its own performance based on the local channel information. In particular, we compare three distributed DCM schemes, namely the two-dimensional DCM, which jointly adjusts both spatial and frequency sub-channels of each BS–MS link, the one-dimensional DCM, which adjusts only the frequency sub-channels and the scalar DCM, which adjusts each BS–MS link by one scalar power coefficient. These DCM schemes are investigated in multi-cell environments with realistic parameters; and it is seen that due to the multiple antennas, the maximum supportable rate (i.e. the rate supported by practically finite transmission power) is significantly increased, for example by a factor of two for users using four antennas and close to cell boundary. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Through the Reading Glasses

I have to admit up front that I am not a videogame player. I have served on committees that have explored gamifying the curriculum and I think serious games will probably play a larger and larger role in education over time.
Reimbursement incentives to physicians.

An orthopaedic surgeon has been asked by an implant manufacturer to be a paid research consultant regarding a knee arthroplasty system. The device in question has been on the market for several years with little sales success. In addition to being reimbursed for the procedures, the surgeon would be paid $300 per qualified patient enrolled in the study. At specified follow-up intervals, the surgeon would be paid an additional $100 per case for data submitted. The researcher would receive $2500 if the results were published in a peer-reviewed journal and $1500 if they were published in a non-peer-reviewed journal. A central guiding principle of medical ethics is that physicians act for the good of their patients. The patient should be the focus of all ethical concerns. Whenever we place our own interests above the interests of those entrusted to our care, we violate that principle. Such is the case in the above scenario. Lately, this scenario has become more common, partly because of the aggressive nature of implant manufacturers as they compete for market share but also as a result of decreasing physician reimbursements, which have caused physicians to seek ancillary sources of income. Such entrepreneurial endeavors to enhance practice income and offset rising expenses can involve participation in activities that may conflict with the primary role of the physician, which is to provide care to the patient. Ideally, physicians …
Factors Influencing the Measurement of Bioavailability, Taking Calcium as a Model

For non-metabolizable supplemental nutrients, bioavailability is effectively equivalent to absorbability. Methods for measuring absorbability (balance, pharmacokinetic, tracer, urine increment, evoked physiological responses, and in vitro) are briefly characterized and their utility compared. When intrinsic labeling of a source is possible, tracer methods are generally the most accurate and precise, as well as often the least expensive. Factors influencing the measured end points of the various methods are described briefly. These include source factors such as pharmaceutic formulation, subject factors such as mucosal mass and the need status of the absorbing subject, and co-ingested factors such as other foods or food constituents. Extensive experience has shown that absorbability is difficult to predict from knowledge of the chemistry of the source, or even from the results of in vitro testing. Hence direct measurement of absorbability is essential to assure regulators and the general public that the source delivers what it promises.
Use of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in a young child with pain from open perineal lesions

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has been shown to be an effective treatment modality in adults experiencing pain associated with a variety of conditions. Therapeutic measures that are effective with adults can often be used with children. However, the benefit of TENS for children has not been well established since few research or clinical data have been published in the literature. This case report of a 4-year-old female with open perineal skin lesions who received TENS as an adjuvant therapy for painful dressing changes illustrates that TENS can be an effective treatment in children. In addition to the pain reduction seen in our patient, TENS therapy also had an opioid-sparing effect.
One-stage key pinch and release with thumb carpal-metacarpal fusion in tetraplegia

Abstract One-stage key pinch and release with carpal-metacarpal fusion, extensor pollicis longus tenodesis, and motor transfer to flexor pollicis longus were analyzed for functional results in tetraplegic patients. Eighteen patients (21 hands)—all with International Classification OCu:4 hand function or worse—were studied. Average follow-up was 42 months. All patients experienced significant increase in functional ability and thought the surgery was highly beneficial. Average pinch strength was 3.3 kg, whereas it had been nonmeasurable preoperatively. Both activities of daily living and pinch strength correlated with tetraplegic functional level. The patients with higher preoperative functional level had better postoperative activities of daily living scores and pinch strength. Sixteen hands had solid fusions, and patients with fibrous nonunions showed no decrease in pinch strength, pain, or functional limitations when compared with the patients who had solid fusions. Six hands showed degenerative changes at one or more adjacent joints, but this was not related to results.
Anatomy of Tsinghua University Science Park in China: institutional evolution and assessment

University science parks are the essential ingredient in the national innovation system of China. This paper examines the institutional evolution of Tsinghua University Science Park (TusPark). Established in 1994, TusPark has grown into the most notable university science park in China. Tsinghua University and TusPark have applied many effective strategies to develop their technology industry and promote innovational activities. This paper also assesses strengths and challenges of TusPark. Although TusPark experiences many constraints of internal and external institutions, it has brought its advantages into full play. The growth trajectory of TusPark is unique, but its experience can contribute to the understanding of science parks in advanced and other emerging economies in the context of globalization.
Effects of Stimulant Medication, Incentives, and Event Rate on Reaction Time Variability in Children With ADHD

This study examined the effects of methylphenidate (MPH) on reaction time (RT) variability in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Using a broad battery of computerized tasks, and both conventional and ex-Gaussian indicators of RT variability, in addition to within-task manipulations of incentive and event rate (ER), this study comprehensively examined the breadth, specificity, and possible moderators of effects of MPH on RT variability. A total of 93 children with ADHD completed a 4-week within-subject, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial of MPH to identify an optimal dosage. Children were then randomly assigned to receive either their optimal MPH dose or placebo after which they completed five neuropsychological tasks, each allowing trial-by-trial assessment of RTs. Stimulant effects on RT variability were observed on both measures of the total RT distribution (ie, coefficient of variation) as well as on an ex-Gaussian measure examining the exponential portion of the RT distribution (ie, τ). There was minimal, if any, effect of MPH on performance accuracy or RT speed. Within-task incentive and ER manipulations did not appreciably affect stimulant effects across the tasks. The pattern of significant and pervasive effects of MPH on RT variability, and few effects of MPH on accuracy and RT speed suggest that MPH primarily affects RT variability. Given the magnitude and breadth of effects of MPH on RT variability as well as the apparent specificity of these effects of MPH on RT variability indicators, future research should focus on neurophysiological correlates of effects of MPH on RT variability in an effort to better define MPH pharmacodynamics.
Some strategies for enhancing the performance of the block Lanczos method

The block Lanczos method is used to calculate the eigenfunctions for a generalized eigenvalue problem constructed as a finite element solution to a 2-dimensional Schrodinger equation on the surface of a hypersphere. This equation results from a treatment of the 3-dimensional reactive scattering problem using Adiabatically adjusting, Principal axes Hyperspherical (APH) coordinates. Three strategies are considered with respect to increasing the CPU performance of the block Lanczos (with selective orthogonalization) method: (1) the effect of varying the Lanczos block size; (2) the effect of block tridiagonal ordinary eigenvalue problem upon every other Lanczos iteration; and (3) the effect of dividing a single problem of finding ϱ eigenvalue into a set of ϱi problems, where each subproblem consists of finding ϱ/ϱi eigenvalues.
Circadian and power spectral changes of RR and QT intervals during treatment of patients with angina pectoris with nadolol providing evidence for differential autonomic modulation of heart rate and ventricular repolarization.

This study evaluates the effects of autonomic manipulation by chronic beta blockade with nadolol on the circadian and power spectral changes of heart rate and QT interval. It was hypothesized that differential innervation of the atria and ventricles by sympathetic and parasympathetic fibers may produce differential effects on heart rate and QT interval variabilities. Holter recordings of 12 male patients (age 63 +/- 7 years) with stable angina were analyzed before and after 3 weeks of nadolol therapy. The QT intervals were individually normalized by an exponential formula to study the circadian variation of QTc. Power spectra of RR and uncorrected QT intervals were obtained by fast-Fourier analysis from 256 consecutive sinus beats during the day at maximal heart rate and during the night at minimal heart rate. Frequency-specific variability was determined from areas under the spectral plots. Both heart rate and QTc exhibited significant circadian patterns (p < 0.01) in opposite phase with each other. Mean heart rate was significantly reduced with nadolol (81 +/- 12 vs 67 +/- 12 beats/min, p < 0.001), with greater reduction during daytime. The mean QTc was unexpectedly reduced after nadolol treatment, with borderline significance (p = 0.06). The RR variability in the frequency range of 0.05 to 0.25 Hz was significantly increased with nadolol at 3:00 A.M. (p < 0.01) but not at 1:00 P.M. The QT variability in the same frequency range of was not significantly increased with nadolol. The power spectra of RR and QT intervals were dissimilar except at the lower frequencies around 0.05 Hz.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Exponential backoff in frequency-domain for random access in OFDMA femtocells

OFDMA femtocells are considered a key enabler in 3GPP LTE-Advanced networks of very high data rates for indoor users. However, the unmanaged nature of femtocells implies the need for careful modeling (and ultimately, managing) of inter-cell interference especially in dense deployments. So far, co-channel interference in femtocells has been investigated using traditional, cellular resource allocation approaches that usually assume a fully loaded network where the system is insensitive to the activity of a single user. This assumption is not suitable for femtocells which are designed to serve very few users and thus lacks the presumed traffic aggregation. In this paper, we exploit the bandwidth flexibility inherent to OFDMA to design more effective (distributed) random access MAC protocol for femtocells. The proposed Exponential Backoff in Frequency (EBF) algorithm allows femtocells to transmit packets in bulk and resolves collisions in the frequency-domain using a synchronized binary tree branching process over the channels that reduces the accessed bandwidth after every failed attempt. Analysis of the mean packet delay and simulation results show that EBF enjoys considerably less packet delay compared to the basic K-Aloha MAC in which femtocells transmit over a random K-subset of channels.
Hemolysis and suppression of neutrophil chemotaxis by a low molecular weight component of human burn patient sera.

Abstract During the past year, we have reported the isolation and characterization of a low molecular mass (
Results: Survey of pediatric urology electronic medical records-use and perspectives.

Purpose: The $19.2 billion Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act will have a dramatic effect on the adoption of electronic medical records in the United States by directly reimbursing for the adoption of electronic medical records in the future. We sought to gain an understanding of electronic medical record use in pediatric urology to aid in the transition to electronic medical records.Materials and Methods: All Fellows and post-fellowship Fellow Candidates of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Urology were recruited to participate in the survey. Electronic and paper versions of this 50-question internal review board approved anonymous survey were sent to potential participants.Results: Of 286 pediatric urologists 165 completed the survey for a 65% response rate. Of the respondents 67.3% were pediatric urologists in academic or hospital based practice while the remaining 32.7% were in private practice. Overall 78.8% of respondents reported using electronic medical ...
Field potentials induced by injection of potassium ion into the frog retina: A test of current interpretations of the electroretinographic (ERG) b-wave

Summary Using excised frog retinas, the field potential induced by mechanical, intraretinal injection of high K+ Ringer's was mapped by a penetrating electrode. The high K+ Ringer's contained 75 mM K+ and the amount per injection was of a sphere about 40–50 μm in diameter. The K+ injection pipette was so made that it also served for recording potentials at the site of K+ injection. The study revealed that: (1) a maximum negativity is produced at the depth of K+ injection; and that (2) the negativity subsides in both directions, proximally and distally; but that (3) when recording from the retinal surfaces, the vitreal side becomes positive relative to the receptor side, irrespective of the retinal depth of K+ injection, excepting for the innermost layer of some 20 μm in thickness where some uncertainty remains. The results indicated that the ‘neutral zone’, as defined as a zone where a high K+ produces no potential difference between the opposite retinal surfaces, is localized very close to the inner limiting membrane. Recent interpretations of the b-wave on the Mu¨ller cell hypothesis are discussed on the basis of our results.
Culture and Biological Adaptation

THE results of one phase of a recently completed study which are pertinent to the question of the biological adaptiveness of culture are presented here. For the purpose of interpreting the genetic characteristics of Pacific Island peoples, research was initially directed to the problem of identifying the determinants of size, structure and dynamics of Micronesian island populations. I have relied extensively on concepts discussed at length by Simpson (1953, 1963) in testing the proposal that culture is biological adaptation, as measured by the criterion of relative abundance of organisms. This operational standard, extensively used in ecological studies, is accepted merely as an objective, available index appropriate to this study. I believe this study indicates that the complex of socially transmitted beliefs and associated behavior constituting a system of social stratification is biologically maladaptive, resulting in the decreased relative abundance of the human population in which such phenomena receive social expression. A greater sophistication is required on the part of anthropologists and biologists who seek to comprehend the nexus between those realms or orders of phenomena which are designated "Culture" and "Biology."
Community services in the 1990s: are they meeting the needs of caregivers?

The community-based, long-term care system not only sustains the older person in the community but also helps to maintain him or her at the highest level of functioning possible. A broad spectrum of services exists, including personal care, transportation, home, delivered meals, adult day care, and respite care.
Tumour angiogenesis as a target for adenoviral mediated antisense gene therapy in human prostate cancer.

Tumour angiogenesis as a target for adenoviral mediated antisense gene therapy in human prostate cancer
Compensatory Increase in TSH Secretion without Effect on Prolactin Secretion in Patients Treated with Aminoglutethimide

Administration of the adrenal steroid inhibitor, aminoglutethimide, in combination with hydrocortisone effectively lowered the levels of dehydroepiandrosterone - sulfate, androstenedione, estrone and estradiol in women with breast carcinoma. Since aminoglutethimide also exerts a blocking action on thyroxine synthesis, it was of interest to measure plasma TSH prospectively before and during chronic administration of this drug. In 35 patients who received aminoglutethimide, TSH secretion increased 2-fold over the first 16 weeks in response to an 18% fall in serum thyroxine. The levels of TSH then increased further over a chronic period of up to 48 weeks and as a result, thyroxine levels returned toward basal. The secretion of TSH and prolactin are interrelated in a variety of clinical circumstances. Because of this phenomenon, it appeared possible that prolactin might increase in parallel with TSH in patients receiving aminoglutethimide. The levels of prolactin measured acutely and chronically during the tr...
Scholarly Writing The Myth of Gender and Performance

This study is an empirical investigation to determine if gender has an influence on academic performance and scholarly writing. A stratified random sample of faculty from 21 midwestern universities...
Relative Linkages of Canopy-Level CO2 Fluxes with the Climatic and Environmental Variables for US Deciduous Forests

We used a simple, systematic data-analytics approach to determine the relative linkages of different climate and environmental variables with the canopy-level, half-hourly CO2 fluxes of US deciduous forests. Multivariate pattern recognition techniques of principal component and factor analyses were utilized to classify and group climatic, environmental, and ecological variables based on their similarity as drivers, examining their interrelation patterns at different sites. Explanatory partial least squares regression models were developed to estimate the relative linkages of CO2 fluxes with the climatic and environmental variables. Three biophysical process components adequately described the system-data variances. The ‘radiation-energy’ component had the strongest linkage with CO2 fluxes, whereas the ‘aerodynamic’ and ‘temperature-hydrology’ components were low to moderately linked with the carbon fluxes. On average, the ‘radiation-energy’ component showed 5 and 8 times stronger carbon flux linkages than that of the ‘temperature-hydrology’ and ‘aerodynamic’ components, respectively. The similarity of observed patterns among different study sites (representing gradients in climate, canopy heights and soil-formations) indicates that the findings are potentially transferable to other deciduous forests. The similarities also highlight the scope of developing parsimonious data-driven models to predict the potential sequestration of ecosystem carbon under a changing climate and environment. The presented data-analytics provides an objective, empirical foundation to obtain crucial mechanistic insights; complementing process-based model building with a warranted complexity. Model efficiency and accuracy (R 2 = 0.55–0.81; ratio of root-mean-square error to the observed standard deviations, RSR = 0.44–0.67) reiterate the usefulness of multivariate analytics models for gap-filling of instantaneous flux data.
Infrared and Raman Studies of Ortho- and Meta-Substituted Styrenes

Infrared and Raman spectra have been obtained over the region 4000 cm−1 to 33 cm−1 on ortho- and meta-substituted styrenes including F, Br, Cl, methyl, and meta-nitro derivatives. The entire spectral region has been investigated in the liquid state while selected regions and isomers have been studied in the solid and gas phase. Gas phase and interferometric spectra in the far ir of ortho- and meta-fluorostyrene did not reveal the torsional modes. Assignment of most fundamental modes of vibrations are reported and discussed.
Morphological Behavior Bridging the Symmetric AB and ABC States in the Poly(styrene-b-isoprene-b-ethylene oxide) Triblock Copolymer System

We report on the characterization of the morphological behavior expressed between the symmetric AB diblock and ABC triblock copolymer states. Experimentally, a gradual transformation between these states was achieved through systematic addition of PEO to a single symmetric PS−PI diblock copolymer (MW ∼ 18 800 g/mol), resulting in a series of 10 poly(styrene-b-isoprene-b-ethylene oxide) triblock copolymers varying only in the amount of PEO added. Final compositions ranged from 2.9 to 33.2 vol % (experimentally symmetric) PEO, with the remaining volume necessarily divided equally between the PS and PI segments. The molecular weight of the parent diblock was chosen such that resulting triblocks would undergo order−disorder transitions (ODTs) at experimentally accessible temperatures over much of the composition range studied. Our results focus on the detection and characterization of six morphologies observed to form between these two symmetric states and some of the kinetic and directional (heating vs cooli...
Acetylcholine as an excitatory neuromuscular transmitter in the stomatogastric system of the lobster.

THERE is much physiological evidence that L-glutamate acts as an excitatory transmitter at many arthropod neuromuscular synapses1–3. The only suggestion that acetylcholine (ACh) has such a function is due to Futamachi4. He showed that the nerve terminal region innervated by the largest crayfish slow flexor excitatory motor neurone is depolarised by iontophoretic applications of ACh, but not L-glutamate. I now have biochemical and physiological evidence that ACh is the neurotransmitter at some, but not all, of the excitatory neuromuscular synapses of the lobster stomatogastric system.
Nuclear spin coupling of 3 He to metallic Sb at low temperatures

We have studied the nuclear spin-lattice relaxation of powdered metallic Sb samples immersed in liquid3He from approximately 1.25 mK to 150 mK. The nuclear quadrupole resonance absorption signals were determined from the free induction decay signals observed for small tipping angle rf pulses. The results have shown that the Sb nuclear spin lattice relaxation is significantly enhanced with respect to the Korringa relaxation below 100 mK. This is attributed to the modulation of the3He−Sb nuclear spin-spin coupling by the quantum zero point motion of the3He on the surface of the metallic particles. Similar processes have been reported for liquid3He in contact with insulators.
Spinal projections from the nucleus locus coeruleus and nucleus subcoeruleus in the cat and monkey as demonstrated by the retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase

The rostral pons of the cat and rhesus monkey were examined for the presence of labeled cells following injections of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) into the lumbar spinal cord. Labeled cells were found in the ipsilateral dorsolateral pontine tegmentum and in the contralateral ventrolateral pontine reticular formation. In both the cat and monkey, labeled cells were located in the nucleus locus coeruleus, nucleus subcoeruleus, in or near the Kolliker-Fuse nucleus, and in the ventral part of the lateral parabrachial nucleus. There is a striking similarity between the distribution of HRP-labeled cells in the dorsolateral pontine tegmentum of the cat and monkey and that of catecholamine-containing cells observed in this area in previous studies.