cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Action spectra of topical psoralens: a re-evaluation.

SUMMARY The action spectra for producing minimal phototoxic erythema with topical 0 1% trimethyl psoralen (TMP) and 8-mcthoxypsoralen (8-MOP) were determined with a double monochromator in the range of 295–380 nm. Both psoralens induced photosensitivity in the range of 313–365 nm; TMP was 54% more effective than 8-MOP. There was no difference in the dose needed to produce minimal UV erythema or phototoxic erythema with 8-MOP and TMP at 295 and 305 nm, but at 313 nm with 8-MOP, photosensitivity was enhanced 3.5 times, and with TMP, sensitivity was enhanced 55 times. The peak sensitivity with 8-MOP was at 330 nm and for TMP it was 335 nm. No photosensitivity occurred above 380 nm. Results suggest that TMP and 8-MOP are significantly photoreactive at 320–335 nm. Commonly used UV-A light sources show peak emission around 360 nm. If there is a relationship between development of erythema and therapeutic effectiveness then this raises the possibility of alternative UV light sources for phototherapy with psoralens.
α5β1 Integrin-Fibronectin Interactions Specify Liquid to Solid Phase Transition of 3D Cellular Aggregates

BACKGROUND Tissue organization during embryonic development and wound healing depends on the ability of cells on the one hand to exchange adhesive bonds during active rearrangement and on the other to become fixed in place as tissue homeostasis is reached. Cells achieve these contradictory tasks by regulating either cell-cell adhesive bonds, mediated by cadherins, or cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) connections, regulated by integrins. Integrin alpha5beta1 and soluble fibronectin (sFN) are key players in cell-ECM force generation and in ECM polymerization. Here, we explore the interplay between integrin alpha5beta1 and sFN and its influence on tissue mechanical properties and cell sorting behavior. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We generated a series of cell lines varying in alpha5beta1 receptor density. We then systematically explored the effects of different sFN concentrations on aggregate biomechanical properties using tissue surface tensiometry. We found previously unreported complex behaviors including the observation that interactions between fibronectin and integrin alpha5beta1 generates biphasic tissue cohesion profiles. Specifically, we show that at constant sFn concentration, aggregate cohesion increases linearly as alpha5beta1 receptor density is increased from low to moderate levels, producing a transition from viscoelastic-liquid to pseudo viscoelastic-solid behavior. However, further increase in receptor density causes an abrupt drop in tissue cohesion and a transition back to viscoelastic-liquid properties. We propose that this may be due to depletion of sFn below a critical value in the aggregate microenvironment at high alpha5beta1 levels. We also show that differential expression of alpha5beta1 integrin can promote phase-separation between cells. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE The interplay between alpha5-integrin and sFn contributes significantly to tissue cohesion and, depending on their level of expression, can mediate a shift from liquid to elastic behavior. This interplay represents a tunable level of control between integrins and the ECM that can influence tissue cohesion and other mechanical properties, which may translate to the specification of tissue structure and function. These studies provide insights into important biological processes such as embryonic development, wound healing, and for tissue engineering applications.
The (Sometimes Surprising) Consequences of Societally Unrepresentative Contributors on Legislative Responsiveness

The conventional view of private campaign contributions is that they distort policy to the detriment of society. Formal models consistent with such views, however, are based on restrictive assumptions about the nature of campaigns, interest groups and policy dimensionality. This paper relaxes those assumptions and allows for informative campaigns, multiple interest groups and multiple issue dimensions. It uses analytical and computational methods to demonstrate that private campaign contributions from societally unrepresentative contributors can, under reasonable conditions, improve social welfare. Multidimensionality is important because politicians need to be responsive on salient issues to prevent opponents from raising money based on less salient issues and using the money to publicize positions on salient issues.
Long term simulation of capacity market considering uncertainty demand and agents' strategic behavior in a hydro-based system

Aiming the supply adequacy of modern electricity market, market designers point out the need for a mechanism to coordinate and promote the expansion. The recent review of the capacity markets have shown the potential of this approach to reach this goal for thermoelectric systems. This paper is a contribution to the supply adequacy discussion and presents a qualitative and quantitative comparative analysis of energy-only markets and capacity market applied to hydro-based systems. We demonstrate that the capacity market is also feasible for hydro-based systems, overcoming its typical high spot price volatility.
The Drama of Philosophy

Catherine Zuckert's Plato's Philosophers argues that the central concern of the Platonic dialogues, read as a single corpus, is to examine the character of philosophy as represented in the activiti...
Significance of T wave normalization in the electrocardiogram during exercise stress test

Although normalization of previously inverted T waves in the ECG is not uncommon during exercise treadmill testing, the clinical significance of this finding is still unclear. This was investigated in 45 patients during thallium-201 exercise testing. Patients with secondary T wave abnormalities on the resting ECG and ischemic exercise ST segment depression were excluded. On the thallium-201 scans, the left ventricle was divided into anterior-septal and inferior-posterior segments; these were considered equivalent to T wave changes in leads V1 and V5, and aVF, respectively. A positive thallium-201 scan was found in 43 of 45 (95%) patients and in 49 of 52 (94%) cardiac segments that showed T wave normalization. When thallium scans and T wave changes were matched to sites of involvement, 76% of T wave normalization in lead aV, was associated with positive thallium scans in the inferior-posterior segments, and 77% of T wave normalization in V1 and V5 was associated with positive thallium scans in the anterior-septal segments. These site correlations were similar for reversible and fixed thallium defects, and for patients not on digoxin therapy. Similar correlations were noted for the sites of T wave changes and coronary artery lesions in 12 patients who had angiography. In patients with a high prevalence for coronary artery disease, exercise T wave normalization is highly specific for the presence of the disease. In addition, it represents predominantly either previous injury or exercise-induced ischemic changes over the site of ECG involvement, rather than reciprocal changes of the opposite ventricular wall.
Perceptions Of Leader Charisma, Effectiveness, And Integrity Effects of Exemplification, Delivery, and Ethical Reputation

This study explored the extent to which a leader who claims to be either exemplary or pragmatic and is revealed to have a reputation for either deception or honesty is perceived to be charismatic, effective, and morally worthy. The effects of message delivery and participants’ scores on the Romance of Leadership Scale (RLS) were also examined. The results revealed that (a) a strong versus weak delivery produced higher ratings of leader charisma and effectiveness; (b) exemplary versus pragmatic self-presentations yielded higher levels of perceived effectiveness and integrity; (c) the strong delivery × ethical reputation combination produced the highest levels of perceived leader effectiveness and integrity; and (d) only high RLS individuals perceived the leader to be most effective when delivery was strong and least effective when delivery was weak.
Low-Level Gamma Ray Detection in Humans

The problem of measuring gamma activity at the natural levels, particularly in people and foodstuffs, is an extremely important one because of the necessity of monitoring both fallout from nuclear weapons tests and the disposal of reactor wastes. This problem will also be encountered because of the necessity for minimizing radiation in clinical and industrial tracer applications. Two principal techniques have been developed for this purpose which are applicable to in vivo studies: the NaI crystal spectrometer in a special, low-activity shield, and the large 4? liquid scintillation counter. Both have sensitivities which permit the detection of gamma activity in the human body at levels a factor of 10 to 100 below the natural K-40 concentration. The choice between the two systems depends largely on the particular application, since they are comparable in terms of ultimate sensitivity and cost. The liquid scintillator is the method of choice used for routine studies involving large numbers of samples in which the identity of the activity is known. This is the case, for example, in studies of the gamma activity of people and foodstuffs due to fallout because of the large discrimination factors in biological systems against elements not closely resembling nutritional essentials. Natural K-40 and Cs-137 are normally the only gamma activities present, and the energy resolution of the liquid scintillator permits their simultaneous determination. Because of the constancy and predictability of the K-40 level, additional hard gamma activity (e.g.
In-Beam Electron Ionization Mass Spectra of Penicillins

The characteristics of in-beam electron ionization mass spectra of 6-aminopenicillanic acid and several penicillins, which yield no detectable molecular ion peaks using a conventional direct-insertion probe, have been established. The spectra of all compounds studied, with the exception of amoxicillin, exhibited molecular ion or (M+1) peaks with spectral features similar to the reported methyl ester or amide derivatives of the compounds. The fragmentation of penicillin G on electron impact under in-beam conditions can be described on the basis of data from mass analyzed ion kinetic energy spectrometry. A desorption technique utilizing polyethylene glycol 4000 was used as a means of obtaining satisfactory spectra of ampicillin and amoxicillin.
ON FUZZY GOAL PROGRAMMING—SOME COMMENTS

This paper pertains to goal programming with fuzzy goals and fuzzy priorities. Hannan [1], in his paper on fuzzy goal programming, alludes to the difficulty of handling fuzzy priorities and further notes that a method that this author proposed [2] may lead to incorrect results. In this note, the general problem of goal programming with fuzzy priorities is reexamined, along with the solution to the specific example presented in my original paper [2]. It is shown that the method for handling fuzzy priorities originally proposed by this author does indeed capture the relative importance of goals.
BCL‐2‐Related Protein Expression in Apoptosis: Oxidative Stress Versus Serum Deprivation in PC12 Cells

Expression of the BCL-2 protein family members, BAX, BAK, BAD, BCL-xL, BCL-xS, and BCL-2, was measured (by western blotting using specific antibodies) in PC12 cells before and during apoptosis induced by either H2O2 treatment or by serum deprivation and during rescue from apoptosis by nerve growth factor (NGF). H2O2-induced apoptosis, as measured by DNA fragmentation, caused: (a) a dose-dependent increase in BAX, (b) a dose-independent increase in BAK, and (c) a dose-dependent inhibition of BAD expression. By comparison, apoptosis induced by serum deprivation resulted in a time-dependent decrease in both BAX and BAK, along with a dramatic and sudden decrease in BAD expression. However, when PC12 cells were incubated in an apoptosis-sparing medium (i.e., NGF-supplemented serum-free medium), both BAX and BAK were increased significantly, whereas BAD expression remained inhibited. BCL-xL expression was increased by H2O2 but unaffected by serum deprivation or long-term NGF treatment. Neither BCL-2 nor BCL-xS expression could be detected in PC12 cells under the experimental conditions tested. Our results show that the expression of BAX, BAK, BAD, and BCL-xL is altered in a stimulus-dependent manner but cannot be used to define whether a cell will undergo or survive apoptosis. The similarity between changes in expression of BCL-2-related proteins induced by H2O2 exposure and NGF rescue could reflect activation in part of a common antioxidant pathway.
The function of stimulus predifferentiation pretraining in complex problem-solving

The present experiment was designed to determine the effects of various types of stimulus predifferentiation pretraining on complex problem-solving and, in addition, the role of task complexity in transfer. Ss were 150 second grade children assigned to six groups, including five treatment conditions, and matched for sex. Directed Attention pretraining proved to facilitate the greatest amount of transfer in solving the oddity problem, and transfer was greater from the difficult task to the easy task than in the reverse situation.
Elevated concentrations of formate, acetate and dissolved organic carbon found at the Lost City hydrothermal field

Abstract Fluids from the ultramafic-hosted Lost City hydrothermal field were analyzed for total dissolved organic carbon and dissolved organic acids. Formate (36–158 μmol/kg) and acetate (1–35 μmol/kg) concentrations are higher than in other fluids from unsedimented hydrothermal vents, and are a higher ratio of the total dissolved organic carbon than has been found in most marine geothermal systems. Isotopic evidence is consistent with an abiotic formation mechanism for formate, perhaps during serpentinization processes in the sub-surface. Further support comes from previous studies where the abiological formation of low molecular weight organic acids has been shown to be thermodynamically favorable during hydrothermal alteration of olivine, and laboratory studies in which the reduction of carbon dioxide to formate has been confirmed. As the second most prevalent carbon species after methane, formate may be an important substrate to microbial communities in an environment where dissolved inorganic carbon is limited. Acetate is found in locations where sulfate reduction is believed to be important and is likely to be a microbial by-product, formed either directly by autotrophic metabolic activity or indirectly during the fermentative degradation of larger organic molecules. Given the common occurrence of exposed ultramafic rocks and active serpentinization within the worlds ocean basins, the abiotic formation of formate may be an important process supporting life in these high pH environments and may have critical implications to understanding the organic precursors from which life evolved.
Adjuvant and Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy for Pancreas Adenocarcinoma

The last two decades of research in the adjuvant setting of pancreas adenocarcinoma have established the value of adjuvant systemic therapy as being able to delay recurrence and increase overall survival. International standards of care in the adjuvant setting include either 6 months of gemcitabine or 5-flurouracil and leucovorin. The added value of additional agents in the adjuvant setting is being evaluated in several large adjuvant studies. The role of a targeted agent in the adjuvant setting remains investigational. Other major areas of exploration include the integration of adjuvant immunotherapeutic approaches, which provide promise in a setting of micrometastatic disease volumes where such approaches may have greatest value.
A generalized self-tuning feedforward controller and multivariable application

This paper describes a new generalized self-tuning feedforward controller which combines the classical strategy of pole-zero placement with the optimal strategy of self-tuning control and possesses the major benefits of both. The techniques of updating the weighting polynomials of the cost function on line and eliminating the steady-state error without using an integrator are proposed. The derived controller not only cancels the effect of measurable disturbances exactly but also is applied to a multivariable system to realize decoupling control. The simulation example and successful application to a multivariable electrcheated system demonstrate the effectiveness of this controller.
Hypocholesteremic Effect of 17 α-Methyltestosterone in Dogs

It has been confirmed that the oral administration of 17 α-methyltestosterone lowers the serum cholesterol concentrations of dogs fed a stock diet containing 3 Gm. of fat and 22 mg. of cholesterol per 100 Gm. The elevated serum cholesterol levels of cholesterol-fed euthyroid dogs, and of hypothyroid dogs fed a high fat diet, were significantly lowered by the oral administration of 17 α-methyltestosterone. The hypocholesteremic effect of 17 α-methyltestosterone was also observed in dogs maintained on a high fat-low cholesterol diet, but not on the same high fat diet supplemented with 1.5 per cent cholesterol. When 17 α-methyltestosterone was given by intramuscular injection in the same dosage as used for oral administration, the hypocholesteremic effect was more rapid and pronounced than that seen following oral administration; 17 α-methyltestosterone consistently lowered the cholesterol content of the α-lipoprotein fraction. Its effect on the β-fraction depended upon the composition of the diet.
Albumin decrement in depression and cholesterol decrement in mania.

Within all psychiatric inpatients over a 4-year period, on admission depressives showed serum albumin 5.4% lower (P < 0.001) than non-psychiatric controls. Similarly, manics showed cholesterol 10% lower (P < 0.0005) and serum calcium/protein ratio 2.2% higher (P < 0.05) than controls. These deviations suggest a tendency towards dietary aberrations in these patients of potential medical significance. These tests had shown the most distinct variation with diagnosis on split-half discriminant function analysis of routine chemistry and hematology tests of 107 patients with mania, 132 with depression, 67 with schizophrenia, 18 with schizoaffective illness, and 83 non-psychiatric controls admitted for elective surgery.
Scattering by penetrable acoustic targets

Abstract An acoustic target of constant density ϱ t and variable index of refraction is imbedded in a surrounding acoustic fluid of constant density ϱ a . A time harmonic wave propagating in the surrounding fluid is incident on the target. We consider two limiting cases of the target where the parameter e ≡ ϱ a /ϱ t → 0 (the nearly rigid target) or e → ∞ (the nearly soft target). Wh en the frequency of the incident wave is bounded away from the ‘in-vacuo’ resonant frequencies of the target, the resulting scattered field is essentially the field scattered by the rigid target for e = 0 or the soft target if e → ∞. However, when the frequency of the incident wave is near a resonant frequency,the target oscillates and its interaction with the surrounding fluid produces peaks in the scattered field amplitude. In this paper we obtain asymptotic expansions of the solutions of the scattering problems for the nearly rigid and the nearly soft targets as e → 0 or e → ∞, respectively, that are uniformly valid in the incident frequency. The method of matched asymptotic expansions is used in the analysis. The outer and inner expansions correspond to the incident frequencies being far or near to the resonant frequencies, respectively. We have applied the method only to simple resonant frequencies, but it can be extended to multiple resonant frequencies. The method is applied to the incidence of a plane wave on a nearly rigid sphere of constant index of refraction. The far field expressions for the scattered fields, including the total scattering cross-sections, that are obtained from the asymptotic method and from the partial wave expansion of the solution are in close agreement for sufficiently small values of e.
Inclusive education in Romania: policies and practices in post‐Communist Romania

This paper discusses current inclusive education policies and practices in Romania. There are few accounts of and no systematic study published on this topic. The Romanian special educational policies began to evolve towards integration and inclusion. Today, Romanian special education functions according to democratic principles and Romanian specialists are currently working for solutions to inclusion by adapting regular school services to the needs of the students and the specifics of the current educational system. Today there is still a series of obstacles to the development of special education to the standards of developed countries with a tradition in educating learners with unique abilities.
Feeding minerals to cattle on pasture

Abstract Mineral deficiencies and imbalances for cattle are reported from almost all regions of the world. The mineral elements most likely to be lacking under grazing conditions for ruminants are Ca, P, Na, Co, Cu, I, Se and Zn. In some regions, under specific conditions, Mg, K, Fe and Mn may be deficient and excesses of F, Mo and Se can be extremely detrimental. In most countries of the world, the principal means by which cattle producers attempt to meet mineral requirements of their grazing herds is through use of free-choice dietary minerals. As a low cost insurance to provide adequate mineral nutrition, a modified ‘complete’ mineral supplement should be available free-choice. Calcium, Cu or Se, when in excess, can be more detrimental to cattle production than any benefit derived by providing a mineral supplement. The major disadvantage to free-choice minerals is lack of uniform consumption by animals. Factors influencing consumption of mineral mixtures include: (1) soil fertility and forage type, (2) season of year, (3) available energy and protein, (4) individual requirements, (5) salt content of water, (6) palatability of mineral mixture, (7) availability of fresh minerals and (8) physical form of minerals. Safe, biologically available and palatable forms of minerals, at a fair price, allow both the user and manufacturer to realize a profit from their use. Mineral supplements need to be evaluated for accuracy of formulation and suitability for cattle. Most studies have shown positive responses of mineral chelates and complexes when compared to inorganic sources.
c-fos is required for malignant progression of skin tumors

The proto-oncogene c-fos is a major nuclear target for signal transduction pathways involved in the regulation of cell growth, differentiation, and transformation. Using the multistep skin carcinogenesis model, we have directly tested the ability of c-fos-deficient mice to develop cancer. Upon treatment with a tumor promoter, c-fos knockout mice carrying a v-H-ras transgene were able to develop benign tumors with similar kinetics and relative incidence as wild-type animals. However, c-fos-deficient papillomas quickly became very dry and hyperkeratinized, taking on an elongated, horny appearance. While wild-type papillomas eventually progressed into malignant tumors, c-fos-deficient tumors failed to undergo malignant conversion. Experiments in which v-H-ras-expressing keratinocytes were grafted onto nude mice suggest that c-fos-deficient cells have an intrinsic defect that hinders tumorigenesis. These results demonstrate that a member of the AP-1 family of transcription factors is required for the development of a malignant tumor.
Hermeneutical Portrait of Today’s 18–22 Year Old Young Adult Male

This article’s objective is to help uncover today’s 18–22 year old young adult male in his modern day milieu in order to paint a hermeneutical portrait of his maleness and masculinity. It will attempt to do so utilizing two main categories: (1) psycho-social development and (2) socio-cultural types and archetypes. Psycho-social development refers to the meaning and telos of the young man’s “maleness” and “masculinity.” It is the self-perceived direction of his sexuality explored within the frameworks of physiology and post-modern implications of his development. Socio-cultural types and archetypes refer to the established male roles and masculine identity markers as well as the human energy that operates in the daily life of college men today. The article concludes with a portrait of the young man’s overall perception of the public sphere, how he is placed within a social and political mindset and imagination regarding maleness and masculinity today.
Atomistic modeling of strain distribution in self-assembled interfacial misfit dislocation (IMF) arrays in highly mismatched III V semiconductor materials

We describe a mathematical model to elucidate the strain energy distribution in the atomic arrangement resulting from a periodic pure edge, 90° interfacial misfit dislocation (IMF) arrays in highly mismatched III–V semiconductors. Using molecular mechanics methods, we calculate strain energy at the atomic level by considering the stretch and bend of each bond in the system under consideration. Three highly mismatched systems InAs/GaAs (Δao/ao ∼7.2%), GaSb/GaAs (Δao/ao ∼7.8%) and AlSb/Si (Δao/ao ∼13%) are considered. This model describes that IMF array formation is driven by strain energy minimization and demonstrates the periodicity of the misfit array that is in good agreement with experimental data using cross section high-resolution transmission electron micrograph (HR-TEM) images and also with other theoretical values.
The Flynn effect and U.S. policies: the impact of rising IQ scores on American society via mental retardation diagnoses.

Over the last century, IQ scores have been steadily rising, a phenomenon dubbed the Flynn effect. Because of the Flynn effect, IQ tests are periodically renormed, making them harder. Given that eligibility for mental retardation (MR) services relies heavily on IQ scores, renormed tests could have a significant impact on MR placements. In longitudinal IQ records from 9 sites around the country, students in the borderline and mild MR range lost an average of 5.6 points when retested on a renormed test and were more likely to be classified MR compared with peers retested on the same test. The magnitude of the effect is large and affects national policies on education, social security, the death penalty, and the military. This paper reports the perceptions of professionals as they relate to IQ score fluctuations in normal, borderline, and/or MR populations.
Oral Proficiency Learning Outcomes and Curricular Design

: In this article, the author describes the place of the oral proficiency guidelines as the only nationally recognized criteria for the assessment of communicative competence in speaking across languages and discusses learning outcomes studies based on the proficiency guidelines. The guidelines are now 20 years old, but learning outcomes are not significantly better than they were before the guidelines were published—suggesting that two decades of guideline-influenced instruction have failed to have an impact on student learning. However, data suggest that students need more hours of language exposure and instruction than a college curriculum can provide in order to attain advanced-level oral proficiency. Nonetheless, the guidelines are a curricular framework that helps teachers prepare students to break through to advanced level performance, even if this occurs after completing the college-level curriculum.
Sodium orthovanadate induces in vitro ovulation and ovarian prostaglandin synthesis in brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)

The in vitro effects of sodium orthovanadate (Na3VO4), a G-protein activator, on ovulation and prostaglandin (PG) synthesis were investigated in the brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) ovary. PGE and PGF levels in incubation medium of either extrafollicular (EF) tissue or follicles were measured by specific radioimmunoassays (RIA). PGE levels in follicle incubates were increased by Na3VO4 at both pre-germinal vesicle breakdown (preGVBD) and preovulatory (preOV) stages. However, an increase of PGF levels in follicle incubates was observed only in preGVBD follicles in the presence of Na3VO4. The preOV follicles spontaneously released more PGF than preGVBD follicles and the level was not affected by Na3VO4 treatment. In contrast, in incubates of EF tissue, Na3VO4 induced dosage-dependent increases in PGE and PGF at either stage. The Na3VO4-stimulated increase of PGE in preOV follicle incubates was significantly reduced by the translational inhibitor, cycloheximide (5 μM), but not by the transcriptional inhibitor, actinomycin (5 μM). PGF levels in preOV follicle incubates were also significantly reduced by cycloheximide and actinomycin in controls, but not in the presence of 0.1 mM Na3VO4. The results suggest that protein synthesis was required for Na3VO4 to increase accumulation of PGE, and in maintaining control PGF levels in preOV follicles. In addition, since PGF levels in preOV follicles were not reduced by either inhibitor in the presence of Na3VO4, a Na3VO4-stimulated increase of PGF levels was unmasked that apparently acts through a non-translational pathway. In vitro ovulation was also significantly increased by 0.1 mM Na3VO4. However, the Na3VO4-induced ovulation was not inhibited by either actinomycin or cycloheximide. The data imply that the mechanism(s) by which Na3VO4 induces ovulation are distinct from that for stimulating PG accumulation. When preOV follicles were incubated with 10 μM forskolin, no stimulatory effect on ovulation, or on PGE and PGF levels was observed. The data strongly indicate that the effects of Na3VO4 on ovulation and ovarian PG levels were not mediated by an increase in cAMP.
Neurobiological bases of individual differences in emotional and stress responsiveness: high responders-low responders model.

Emotion, as defined by psychologists, is a strong and complex feeling state that is consciously perceived, like anger, fear, happiness, or love. Although we do not have direct animal models of emotions, we have the tools to study in animals some of the variables that represent components of these human traits, including emotional responsiveness and stress reactivity. Our understanding of the neurobiological bases of emotional responsiveness derivesfrom2majorclassesofwork.Thefirst classrepresentsstudiesinterestedinbrain sites and associated molecules that respond to fear and anxiety. The other class explores the brain circuits that regulate physiological responses to stress. These 2 classes of work do not contradict each other. In contrast, they coalesce into a coherent body of information of great importance to understanding emotion. Webelievethatanimaldifferencesin emotional reactivity involve some of the same neuronal circuitry that is relevant in humans. This circuitry includes the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN),monoaminergicnucleiinthemidbrain, amygdala, prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and other limbic and limbicassociatedareas. 1 Thiscircuitrydetermines how an individual perceives a stress and copes with it. It is a disruption of this circuitrythatisresponsibleforwhysomeindividuals develop anxiety and major depressive disorders. In this article, we describe what is known about this emotional circuitry among animals that differ in emotional reactivity and stress responsiveness. LIMBIC-HYPOTHALAMICPITUITARY-ADRENAL AXIS
Assessing Gender Authenticity in Computer-Mediated Language Use Evidence From an Identity Game

Although a substantial body of research exists on gender differences in computer-mediated communication, relatively little empirical attention has been directed toward how people perform a different gender online, or to what behavioral cues other participants attend in assessing others’ real-life gender. This study analyzes deceptive gender performances and assessments of their authenticity in The Turing Game, a publicly available synchronous text chat environment that supports spontaneous identity games. Content analysis of game logs shows that contestants produce stereotypical content when attempting to pass as the opposite gender, as well as giving off stylistic cues to their real-life gender. However, contrary to previous evidence that people judge online gender authenticity on the basis of linguistic styles, the judges in The Turing Game base their assessments mostly on stereotyped content, leading to a high rate of error. These findings are interpreted in terms of signal costs and conscious accessib...
Local pursuit strategy-inspired cooperative trajectory planning algorithm for a class of nonlinear constrained dynamical systems

Cooperative trajectory planning is crucial for networked vehicles to respond rapidly in cluttered environments and has a significant impact on many applications such as air traffic or border security monitoring and assessment. One of the challenges in cooperative planning is to find a computationally efficient algorithm that can accommodate both the complexity of the environment and real hardware and configuration constraints of vehicles in the formation. Inspired by a local pursuit strategy observed in foraging ants, feasible and optimal trajectory planning algorithms are proposed in this paper for a class of nonlinear constrained cooperative vehicles in environments with densely populated obstacles. In an iterative hierarchical approach, the local behaviours, such as the formation stability, obstacle avoidance, and individual vehicle's constraints, are considered in each vehicle's (i.e. follower's) decentralised optimisation. The cooperative-level behaviours, such as the inter-vehicle collision avoidanc...
Behavior of Partially Metallized Kapton for Spacecraft Charging Control

Results of electron beam charging of pure Kapton and mesh-covered Kapton used to control charge buildup on spacecraft are presented. The electron beam energy was varied from 200 eV to over 10,000 eV. The sample with the aluminum grid had about 10% of its total exposed surface area covered with a hexagonal-shap ed aluminum grid. The addition of the aluminum grid limits the area involved in arcing. It is able to bleed off some, but not all, of the deposited charge. Experimental data are presented, and a qualitative explanation is suggested.
Use of Subjective Probabilities in Game Theory

Classical game theory used only objective probabilities (for characterizing random moves and mixed strategies). Subjective probabilities were first introduced in modelling Cames with incomplete information. More recently, Reinhard Selten and the present writer have used subjective probabilities in our solution theory for noncooperative games. The paper will discuss some of the methodological problems associated with this work. It will also comment on the economic meaning of von Neumann-Morgenstern utility functions.
PL/I process generators

The following is a listing of several process generators implemented in PL/I. These were adopted from similar programs implemented in SIMSCRIPT II and published in the SIMSCRIPT II implementation manual. The Assembly Language version of the pseudo random number generator was adopted from a listing published in CACM, Feb. 1969. All programs raise a CONDITION (@ERR), if improper arguments are passed. The error conditions and the calling arguments are self explanatory. These routines allow for ten separate streams of random numbers. The seed values are initialized in the routine RANDOM.
The effects of reservoir geometry on the seismic response of gravity dams

Conventional seismic analysis of gravity dams assumes that the behaviour of the dam–water–soil system can be represented using a 2-D model since dam vertical contraction joints between blocks allow them to vibrate independently from each other. The 2-D model assumes the reservoir to be infinite and of constant width, which is not true for certain types of reservoirs. In this paper, a boundary element method (BEM) model in the frequency domain is used to investigate the influence of the reservoir geometry on the hydrodynamic dam response. Important conceptual conclusions about the dam–reservoir system behaviour are obtained using this model. The results show that the reservoir shape influences the seismic response of the dam, making it necessary to account for 3-D effects in order to obtain accurate results. In particular, the 3-D pressure and displacement responses can be substantially larger than those computed with the 2-D model. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The African American Presence in Reading Intervention Experiments

This study examined what proportion of reading intervention experiments published in a sample of prominent, peer-reviewed education research journals evaluated the impact of the reading intervention on African American students. The last 10 years of articles from the Reading Research Quarterly and the Journal of Educational Psychology and all volumes of the journal Scientific Study of Reading (totaling 8 years) were hand searched. This search yielded 971 research articles, of which 8.14% (n = 79) reported reading interventions; none of these reading interventions reported outcomes by race, and only 2, 0.21% of the research articles, included 85% or more African American participants.
AV nodal-His-Purkinje reentry: a novel form of tachycardia.

AV Nodal-His-Purkinje Reentry. Introduction: Bundle branch reentry (BBR) typically occurs in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and infra-Hisian conduction system disease. The macroreentrant circuit of BBR is confined to the His-Purkinje system (HPS) and ventricular myocardium. As such, the atrioventricular (AV) node plays no role in the tachycardia circuit. Methods and Results: In the present study, we identified a novel form of wide complex tachycardia in a patient with coronary disease and severe aortic regurgitation. The tachycardia morphology was right bundle branch block with a left superior axis. Ventriculoatrial block was present during tachycardia. An unusual feature of this rhythm was two sequential His-bundle deflections (H and H′) for each ventricular beat of tachycardia. The H′V interval was identical to the HV interval during supraventricular rhythm. Changes in the ventricular cycle length (VV) preceded changes in the HH interval, consistent with retrograde activation of the first His-bundle deflection. Changes in the H ‘H’interval preceded changes in the VV interval, consistent with anterograde activation of the second His-bundle deflection. Tachycardia could be terminated with ventricular extrastimuli that did not capture the proximal HPS as well as with ventricular extrastimuli that advanced the His deflection, consistent with block in the HPS and in the AV node, respectively. Reproducible termination of the tachycardia following the first His deflection was demonstrated with adenosine, consistent with an upper pivot in the AV node. Conclusions: We have identified a new form of reentrant tachycardia in which the AV node, HPS, and ventricular myocardium each obligatorily participates in the tachycardia circuit, with the left posterior fascicle and right bundle functioning as the anterograde and retrograde limbs, respectively. Unlike BBR, however, the His bundle is activated twice as the wavefront pivots in the AV node. This model requires longitudinal dissociation at the levels of the AV node and His bundle.
CYP2E1-Catalyzed Oxidation Contributes to the Sperm Toxicity of 1-Bromopropane in Mice

1-bromopropane (1-BrP) induces dose- and time-dependent reproductive organ toxicity and reduced sperm motility in rodents. The contribution of cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1) to both 1-BrP metabolism and the induction of male reproductive toxicity was investigated using wild-type (WT) and Cyp2e1-/- mice. In gas uptake inhalation studies, the elimination half-life of [1,2,3-(13)C]-1-BrP was longer in Cyp2e1-/- mice relative to WT (3.2 vs. 1.3 h). Urinary metabolites were identified by 13C nuclear magnetic resonance. The mercapturic acid of 1-bromo-2-hydroxypropane (2OHBrP) was the major urinary metabolite in WT mice, and products of conjugation of 1-BrP with glutathione (GSH) were insignificant. The ratio of GSH conjugation to 2-hydroxylation increased 5-fold in Cyp2e1-/- mice relative to WT. After 1-BrP exposure, hepatic GSH was decreased by 76% in WT mice vs. 47% in Cyp2e1-/- mice. Despite a 170% increase in 1-BrP exposure in Cyp2e1-/- vs. WT mice, sperm motility in exposed Cyp2e1-/- mice did not change relative to unexposed matched controls. This suggests that metabolites produced through CYP2E1-mediated oxidation may be responsible for 1-BrP-induced sperm toxicity. Both 1-BrP and 2OHBrP inhibited the motility of sperm obtained from WT mice in vitro. However, only 2OHBrP reduced the motility of sperm obtained from Cyp2e1-/- mice in vitro, suggesting that conversion of parent compound to 2OHBrP within the spermatozoa may contribute, at least in part, to reduced motility. Overall, these data suggest that metabolism of 1-BrP is mediated in part by CYP2E1, and activation of 1BrP via this enzyme may contribute to the male reproductive toxicity of this chemical.
Stress-induced rise of body temperature in rats is the same in warm and cool environments

Abstract Several forms of psychological stress result in a rise in body temperature in rats. In this study, we report that rats housed at a low ambient temperature (11.1°C) develop stress-induced rises in body temperature that do not differ from the responses seen when the animals are kept at a temperature within their thermoneutral zone (24.7°C). These data support the hypothesis that stress-induced “hyperthermia” is a regulated rise in temperature (i.e., a rise in thermoregulatory “set-point,” or fever), and is not simply the result of metabolic changes associated with the stress response itself.
Radiation of spinless electrons in a homogeneous magnetic field

The radiation of a spinless charged particle in an external homogeneous magnetic field is described by the methodology of source theory. The gauge-invariant, proper-time Green's function of the particle is used in the analysis with a noncausal photon propagation function. Results are in agreement with a new method proposed by Schwinger and also with his earlier work on the classical radiation of accelerated electrons.
QoS provisioning using BER-based routing in ad hoc wireless networks

In order to guarantee a certain level of quality of service (QoS), routing protocol should be smart enough to pick a stable and good quality communication route in order to avoid any unnecessary packet loss. Intuitively, if the chosen communication route is error-prone, it is very likely that the transmitted packets over consecutive links may get corrupted or even lost. It is well-known that retransmissions incur additional delay and increase the overhead in the network. This is very undesirable for delay sensitive applications, especially in an ad hoc wireless network environment where devices are typically power-limited and topology is constantly changing. Unlike most of the existing routing protocols for ad hoc wireless networks, in which the basic criterion for route selection is the minimization of the overall route length, in this paper we consider bit error rate (BER)-based routing, where the chosen route is the one which guarantees the lowest BER at the ending node. In other words, we consider providing QoS in terms of BER at the destination node. Our analysis shows that, according to this criterion, shortest path (SP) routing is not always the optimal choice as it often selects a path with unacceptable BER which can directly affect the end-to-end packet delay and goodput.
Implementing learner control in an automated instructional system

In an automated instructional system, learner control suggests that there is some basis on which the system may recommend and the learner may select relevant and appropriate instructional elements and that the system has the capability to respond to learner requirements by customizing the delivery of each element. We report research into these two areas of sequencing and delivery. We first describe a knowledge representation model that expresses the interrelations among instructional elements. A domain knowledge base created using this model, available through all phases of the instructional development cycle, provides information to the system and the learner for identifying which elements are related in some way to the just presented element and, more importantly, the nature of the relation so that an informed sequencing decision may be made. We then describe transaction shells, reusable instructional components, which when instantiated with content from the domain knowledge base deliver instruction to the learner. This instruction is configurable both by the author and dynamically by the system to take into account knowledge about the learner, including aptitude, goals, and previous instruction. The automated system, by configuring a shell dynamically, adjusts an instructional element to meet expressed or derived learner requirements. These two elements combine to provide a foundation for implementing learner control in an automated instructional system.
A Fast and Exact Energy Minimization Algorithm for Cycle MRFs

The presence of cycles gives rise to the difficulty in performing inference for MRFs. Handling cycles efficiently would greatly enhance our ability to tackle general MRFs. In particular, for dual decomposition of energy minimization (MAP inference), using cycle subproblems leads to a much tighter relaxation than using trees, but solving the cycle subproblems turns out to be the bottleneck. In this paper, we present a fast and exact algorithm for energy minimization in cycle MRFs, which can be used as a subroutine in tackling general MRFs. Our method builds on junction-tree message passing, with a large portion of the message entries pruned for efficiency. The pruning conditions fully exploit the structure of a cycle. Experimental results show that our algorithm is more than an order of magnitude faster than other state-of-the-art fast inference methods, and it performs consistently well in several different real problems.
Pseudorandom testing for mixed-signal circuits

In this paper, we propose a pseudorandom testing scheme for mixed-signal circuits. We first describe the pseudorandom testing technique for linear analog components and converters in mixed-signal circuits. With proper arithmetic operations on the responses to the random patterns, the impulse response of the device under test (DUT) can be constructed and used as the signature. By checking the constructed signatures against the derived tolerance ranges, we can infer the correctness of the DUT without explicitly measuring the original performance parameters. We also describe a technique of mapping the tolerance ranges in the performance space to its associated tolerance ranges in the signature space. The major advantages of our pseudorandom testing scheme are: (1) a universal input stimulus (white noise) is used and thus test generation can be avoided, (2) signatures for high quality testing can be easily constructed and thus testing cost can be minimized, and (3) the scheme can be used for Built-In Self-Test (BIST) implementation for DSP-based mixed-signal designs. We present simulation results to illustrate the effectiveness of the scheme.