cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recognition of individual, sex and species odours by salamanders of the Plethodon glutinosus-P. Jordani complex

Salamanders of the Plethodon glutinosus-P. jordani complex were tested for the ability to distinguish conspecific, sex-specific, and heterospecific chemical cues. Male and female P. glutinosus preferred substrates previously occupied by conspecifics over their own, but randomly chose between substrates marked by male or female conspecifics. This suggests that while these salamanders are able to distinguish between their own and conspecific substrate odours, they are unable to identify sex by means of substrate odours. Experiments using an olfactometer showed that male P. jordani, male and female P. glutinosus, and an electrophoretically distinct and non-hybridizing sympatric phenotype in the P. glutinosus complex (here called species A), all preferred female airborne odours over male airborne odours. This demonstrates that these salamanders can identify sex by means of airborne odours. Male P. glutinosus and species A both preferred conspecific female odours over heterospecific female odours in olfactometer experiments. These results suggest an important role for olfaction in the sexual and social behaviour of these salamanders, particularly as a pre-mating isolating mechanism.
Variations in bottom sediment nutrient and metal concentrations in the Genesee River watershed, New York

Variations in nutrient and metal concentrations of fluvial sediment may be due to varying combinations of natural and man-made factors: basin geology, surface erosion, riverbank erosion, industrial or other cultural contamination, the presence of minerals rich in trace elements (e.g. chromite), sediment ion-exchange capacity, sediment organic content, and the presence of metallic oxides. The data reported here were obtained in a study in New York State of sediment transport from the Genesee River watershed to Lake Ontario (6,500 km2; 2,400 sq.mi.). One hundred bottom sediment samples collected over a period of a year were chemically analyzed for aluminium, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, nickel, lead, zinc, total carbon, total organic carbon, total nitrogen, and phosphorus. The metal concentrations (arithmetic means ±S.D., in μg/g) were: Al, 6,660±2,620; Cr, 14±9; Cu, 18±7; Fe, 15,060±7,312; Mn, 424±212; Ni, 23±13; Pb, 40±67; and Zn, 69±37. For the major nutrients the results (mean ±1 S.D. in %) were: total carbon, 2.06 ± 1.68; total organic carbon, 1.37 ± 1.28; total nitrogen, 0.105 ± 0.098; and phosphorus, 0.0560 ± 0.014.
Visual evoked potentials during experimentally induced spike-wave activity in monkeys.

Abstract 1. 1. Electroretinograms (ERGs) and visual evoked potentials (VEPs) were studied in 16 monkeys both before and after the induction of spike-wave (SW) EEG patterns by the intravenous administration of chlorambucil (13 animals) or by the direct cortical application of conjugated estrogen (3 animals). All of the estrogen preparations and 5 of the chlorambucil animals were studied under gallamine triethiodide paralysis; the other animals were studied under barbiturate anesthesia. 2. 2. In visual system placements (cornea, optic chiasm, optic tract, lateral geniculate nucleus, occipital cortex) there was a reduction or apparent abolition of the ERG of VEP during SW activity. VEPs were rarely seen in non-visual system placements (frontal cortex, parietal cortex, brain-stem reticular formation); averaged potentials from such locations appeared to reflect only increased “noise” during SW activity. 3. 3. When SW activity was confined to frontal cortex (as with the conjugated estrogen preparations) reductions in ERG were less likely to occur. However, generalized SW activity, regardless of how it was produced, was almost invariably accompanied by both VEP and ERG reduction. 4. 4. Reductions in evoked potential amplitudes or complete loss of components tended to be greater in more central placements (LGN, occipital cortex) than in more peripheral placements, and to be more pronounced with more intense visual stimulation. 5. 5. In 2 animals prepared with pre-chiasmal sections of one optic nerve, no substantial reduction in ERG was seen in the eye deprived of connection to the brain, although the usual decrease in amplitude was seen in the contralateral eye. 6. 6. The results were discussed in terms of hypothetical central events in petit mal epilepsy, including the possibility of centrifugal effects upon the retina being transmitted through optic efferent fibers during petit mal convulsive activity.
Ca2+-sensitive isolation of a cortical actin matrix fromDictyostelium amoebae

A cortical actin matrix has been isolated from amoebae ofDictyostelium discoideum grown in liquid culture. The existence of this actin matrix in whole cells is indicated in electron micrographs as an area free of cytoplasmic organelles. The actin beneath the membrane is more clearly visible in sections of cells that are lysed gently with 0.5% Triton X-100 and fixed with 1% glutaraldehyde. Such Triton-lysed cells have fragments of plasma membrane associated with the cortical actin matrix. Isolation of the actin matrix, which sediments at 400g, is inhibited by Ca2+. As much as 50% of the actin of the cell and about 12% of the total protein is found in the matrix isolated in lysis buffer containing no added Ca2+ and 2.5mm EGTA, whereas less than 15% of the actin of the cell is recovered in a 400g pellet when cells are lysed in buffer containing 2.5mm Ca2+ and 2.5mm EGTA. A 40 000 molecular weight protein that fragments F-actin in a Ca2+-dependent manner is not found in the isolated cortical actin matrix.
A Performance Evaluation of a Distributed QoS Load Sharing Scheme

4G will introduce additional wireless networks offering faster data services. Service Balancing is a technique where traffic overflows between wireless networks in order to improve QoS goals in an automated way. Since speech and queued packet data form the predominant services of the future, this study evaluates two techniques of overflowing services between radio access networks. To ensure response time goals can be achieved, Interactive services have a limited queue size that varies with the number of actively-transmitting sessions. An analytic model based upon the Gauss-Seidel Markov Chain model is used to validate simulation results.
The effects of carotid sinus nerve blockade on hemodynamic stability after carotid endarterectomy

Abstract Objective : To determine whether intraoperative administration of bupivacaine reduces the incidence of hypotension after carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Design : Prospective, double-blinded, randomized controlled trial. Setting : A single-institute, tertiary-care medical center. Participants : Patients (n = 135) who were referred for CEA without prior ipsilateral CEA, diabetes mellitus, or allergies to local anesthetics. Interventions : 2 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine or 2 mL NaCl (control) injected by the surgeon at the carotid sinus immediately after CEA. Measurements and Main Results : Blood pressure and heart rate were measured before induction, before carotid reperfusion, 2 minutes after reperfusion, before carotid sinus injection, and every 15 minutes thereafter for 2 hours. Anesthesia was induced and maintained with fentanyl, pancuronium, and 0.5% to 1% enflurane. Hypertension was defined as a systolic blood pressure 30% above baseline or greater than 180 mmHg. Hypotension was defined as a systolic blood pressure 30% below baseline or less than 100 mmHg. Postoperative incidences of hypertension, hypotension, and the associated use of corrective medications were compared in both groups using the chi-squared test to determine statistical significance. Patients in the bupivacaine group (n = 61) had a similar incidence of postoperative hypotension as controls (n = 74) but a higher incidence of hypertension (40% v 24%; p = 0.043). The bupivacaine group required vasodilators more often (33% v 18%; p = 0.04). Baseline hypertension and preoperative use of β-blockers also were predictive of postoperative hypertension. Conclusions : Carotid sinus area infiltration with bupivacaine after CEA does not reduce the incidence of postoperative hypotension but significantly increases the incidence of postoperative hypertension. Thus, its routine use cannot be recommended in carotid endarterectomy.
Response properties of neurons in trigeminal nucleus caudalis to noxious and innocuous stimuli under chloralose anesthesia.

Abstract The response properties of a population of neurons in trigeminal nucleus caudalis, responsive to electrical stimulation of the dental pulp, were quantitatively studied in cats under chloralose anesthesia. A considerable difference was noted between the firing patterns of these units, as identified by poststimulus time histogram analysis, and a group of pulpal units previously studied by others in rostral trigeminal nuclei also under chloralose anesthesia. No specific firing pattern characterized unit response to noxious as opposed to innocuous stimuli in this study. However, patterns of stimulus interaction, identified using a conditioning-testing paradigm, were identical in this study to those reported rostrally. A portion of the units identified in nucleus caudalis possess the firing characteristics required of a population of neurons which might secondarily activate more rostral cells differentially in response to noxious and innocuous stimuli. It is concluded that all the components predicted by a theory of facial sensation based on interdependence of trigeminal primary relay nuclei were shown to exist within the trigeminal brain stem complex.
Ballistic Damage Evaluation of Thick-Section S-2 Glass/SC15 Composites With and Without Predefined Delaminations

Thick-section composites made from plain weave (5×5) S-2 glass fabrics and toughened API epoxy SC15 resin are impacted with right circular cylinder projectiles at different impact velocities, and at support span of diameter 101.6-mm. The impact and residual velocity of the projectiles are measured using flash X-Ray. Ballistic energy dissipated in the composite plates is determined following an energy balance approach. The damage mechanisms under ballistic impact are evaluated by sectioning each composite plate through the impact axis. Composite damage mechanisms are presented as a function of dimensionless impact and residual velocity, VI /V50 and VR /V50 , respectively. It has been identified that the damage mechanisms are significantly different in case of partial-penetration (VR /V50 =0), than the case of complete-penetration (VR /V50 0). The effect of pre-defined delamination planes on the ballistic limit and damage is investigated.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
VANADIUM IN SEPIOLITE : A REDOX-INDICATOR FOR AN ANCIENT CLOSED BRINE SYSTEM IN THE MADRID BASIN, CENTRAL SPAIN

Abstract The reconstruction of redox conditions in ancient environments is difficult in the absence of authigenic Fe and Mn phases as indicators. The Miocene sepiolite beds in the Madrid Basin (central Spain) that were formed in closed Systems under arid to semiarid climate are examples of an environment poor in Fe and Mn phases. In this paper, a new approach is presented that uses structure-bound transition metal ions in sepiolites from two localities (Vallecas and Valdemoro) to deduce redox conditions during their formation. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that most of the sepiolite is fibrous and that a subordinate part has a spheroidal morphology. Electron spin resonance spectroscopy showed Fe(III), V(IV), and V(III) located in octahedral sites of the sepiolite structure. Bound V(III) indicates sulfidic conditions during the crystallization of the sepiolite fibers that form the major part of the deposits. The cessation of the formation of sepiolite deposits is indicated by the poorly crystallized spheroidal morphotype. The occurrence of Mn-oxides in the pore space of the sepiolite deposits indicates later oxic conditions that led to a partial oxidation of the metal centers in the sepiolite structure.
Infection dynamics of an oyster parasite in its newly expanded range

Over a 2-year period in 1990 and 1991, coincident with a pronounced warming episode, Dermo disease outbreaks in the oyster, Crassostrea virginica, caused by the parasite Perkinsus marinus, occurred over a 500-km range from Delaware Bay to Cape Cod, in the northeastern United States. The parasite had not previously been recorded or known to cause mortalities in this region. To document infection patterns and levels in this region several years after the initial outbreaks, and to compare them with those in the parasite’s historic southern range, we deployed and sampled oysters from 1996 to 1998 at multiple sites spanning the expanded range. During this 2-year period, the parasite was documented to occur in oysters at high prevalences throughout the new range, in sites varying from small, enclosed embayments to large estuaries, and in both cultured and wild-set oysters. Infection and mortality patterns, and levels were similar to those in southern locations where the parasite has been enzootic for at least decades. The persistence of high P. marinus infection levels in the new range after the initial expansion is probably due to several factors: (1) winter temperatures continued to increase during the 1990s and early 2000s, albeit at a slower rate than in 1990–1991, facilitating overwinter survival of the parasite; (2) many oyster-growing sites in the northeast are in relatively shallow water in which summer temperatures offer ample time for the parasite to proliferate and spread; and (3) the combination of high parasite burdens and high host densities in oyster farms results in an abundance of parasites and high transmission rates. Colder winters and high rainfall after 2002 reduced prevalences in some regions, but P. marinus can survive low temperatures and low salinities, and epizootic conditions are likely to return if temperatures rise again, as predicted by climate-change models.
A study of L-glutamine: D-fructose 6-phosphate amidotransferase in certain developmental mutants of Neurospora crassa.

Wild type and 22 mutant strains of Neurospora crassa were compared for L-glutamine: D-fructose 6-phosphate amidotransferase (GFAT: EC 2.6.1.16) specific activity. The mutant genes map at eleven functionally nonallelic loci, mutations at which result in altered mycelial and ascus morphologies. The enzyme GFAT, which is involved in the synthesis of the important mycelial wall constituent chitin, was investigated as a possible causal factor in determining the altered morphologies. When compared with the wild-type (control) activity, a statistically increased GFAT activity was detected in crude extracts of six mutant strains. Two of these strains carry mutant alleles mapping at the peak locus (peak-2 and clock) and the remaining four carry mutant genes mapping at four other loci. GFAT activity was not significantly different from that of wild type in crude extracts prepared from nine other strains carrying mutant alleles that map at the peak locus, or from seven strains carrying the remaining mutant alleles mapping at other loci. In the two cases tested, including that of peak-2, the activity increase segregated with the mutant morphological phenotype when cultures derived from ascospores of tetrads isolated from crosses of the mutants with wild type were assayed.
Kinetic studies of ionic cesium fluoride excimer molecules: feasibility of an ionic cesium fluoride laser

Abstract A model to describe the fundamental kinetics of the inner-shell excited cesium fluoride molecules has been extended to predict the feasibility of producing an ionic cesium fluoride laser. The calculated gain coefficient overcomes the loss due to the self- absorption. The net gain of more than 0.2 cm -1 has been estimated for the ionic excimer transition at 185 nm.
Influence of Clostridium saccharolyticum on cellulose degradation by Acetivibrio cellulolyticus

The interrelationship between Acetivibrio cellulolyticus and Clostridium saccharolyticum, two anaerobes recently isolated from a methanogenic cellulose-enriched culture, was studied in an examination of the role of saccharolytic anaerobes in habitats where cellulose is converted to methane. The presence of Cl. saccharolyticum decreased cellulose degradation by A. cellulolyticus as a result of substrate competition. Nevertheless A. cellulolyticus provided essential growth factor(s) and assimilable sugars including glucose which A. cellulolyticus itself does not utilize. Cl. saccharolyticum converted sugars to acetic acid and H2, known substrates for methanogens, and ethanol and lactic acid, known substrates for sulphate reducing bacteria. In natural habitats, the presence of both methanogens and sulphate reducing bacteria is essential for the existence of cellulolytic anaerobes.
Ultraviolet mutagenesis and genetic analysis of resistance to methylglyoxal-bis (guanylhydrazone) in tobacco

We have isolated cell lines of Nicotiana tabacum resistant to methylglyoxal-bis(guanylhydrazone) (MGBG), a potent inhibitor of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase. We obtained 31 resistant lines from ultraviolet light mutagenized cultures, representing at least 13 independent events. No resistant lines were obtained from non-mutagenized control cultures. The increase in mutation rate due to the ultraviolet light treatment was 22 to 62 fold increased over an estimate of the maximum possible spontaneous rate. In reconstruction experiments we reselected resistant cell lines from varying dilutions into a background of a constant concentration of wild type cells; at the minimum ratio of resistant cells to wild type cells, 1:125,000, we recovered resistant colonies at an estimated plating efficiency of 12.5%. A number of resistant lines have been regenerated into plants. All of the ones that flowered are male sterile, sometimes associated with morphological transformations. Some are female sterile as well. Meiotic genetic analysis of one resistant line, Mgr12, suggests that the MGBG resistance is segregating as a nuclear dominant trait. The male sterility and abnormal floral development of Mgr12 cosegregate with the MGBG resistance, suggesting the two phenotypes are coincident.
Finite lifetime effects on the polarizability within time-dependent density-functional theory

We present an implementation for considering finite lifetime of the electronic excited states into linear-response theory within time-dependent density-functional theory. The lifetime of the excited states is introduced by a common phenomenological damping factor. The real and imaginary frequency-dependent polarizabilities can thus be calculated over a broad range of frequencies. This allows for the study of linear-response properties both in the resonance and nonresonance cases. The method is complementary to the standard approach of calculating the excitation energies from the poles of the polarizability. The real and imaginary polarizabilities can then be calculated in any specific energy range of interest, in contrast to the excitation energies which are usually solved only for the lowest electronic states. We have verified the method by investigating the photoabsorption properties of small alkali clusters. For these systems, we have calculated the real and imaginary polarizabilities in the energy range of 1–4eV and compared these with excitation energy calculations. The results showed good agreement with both previous theoretical and experimental results.
On the ancestral form of true organ of fructification in the saprophytic stage of the dermatophytes of the faviform group: Favomicrosporon pinettii, N.SP. and its perfect form: Anixiopsis stercoraria (hansen) hansen, 1897

The discovery of the hidden, “built-in” macroconidia in the four members of the Faviform Group of the dermatophytes, i.e.,Achorion schoenleinii, Trichophyton violaceum, Trichophyton verrucosum andMicrosporon ferrugineum, is described.
Morphological plasticity of cotton roots in response to interspecific competition with pecan in an alleycropping system in the southern United States

A study was conducted in northwest Florida, USA, to investigate root development and morphology of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) under pecan (Carya illinoensis K. Koch) trees in an alleycropping experiment. Root:shoot ratio, root biomass, total root length and root length density were examined under three treatments: (1) barrier (separating belowground interspecific competition by trenching to a depth of 120 cm and installing polyethylene barrier), (2) non-barrier (root systems were free to interact), and (3) monoculture of cotton (without above and belowground interspecific competition with trees). Results indicated that plants in the barrier and non-barrier treatments had lower root:shoot ratios compared to the monoculture treatment. Belowground competition for resources between pecan and cotton in the non-barrier treatment resulted in 25 and 33% reduction of total root length (359 cm) when compared to that of the barrier (477 cm) and monoculture (539 cm) treatments, respectively. The non-barrier plants also exhibited the lowest root length density. Specific root length was highest for the monoculture (179 cm g−1) and lowest for the non-barrier treatment (146 cm g−1) with the barrier treatment being intermediate (165 cm g−1). Interspecific competition with pecan significantly altered root development and morphology of cotton plants. Research in agroforestry should take into account the developmental differences in root systems of the associated crop species so that better models incorporating nutrient and water uptake can be developed.
1297 EARLY NEUTODEVELOPMENT IN INFANTS WITH SLIT LIKE VENTRICLES

Infants born to drug-dependent women usually undergo neonatal abstinence syndrome characterized by symptoms of central nervous system irritability, hypertonia, and diminution of the sucking reflex. The effect of fetal exposure to narcotics on the developing brain is not yet fully understood. Preliminary studies have shown that infants born to drug-dependent women tend to have ventricular configurations defined as small or slit-like during the first few days of life. The purpose of this study was to determine if a resumption of normal ventricular configuration occurs after abstinence is no longer evident and whether any developmental sequalae are evident. Ultrasound examinations, using a high resolution real-time sector scanner, were conducted on 31 infants at 24 hours and 6 months of age. All infants were born to drug dependent women and all exhibited symptoms of neonatal abstinence. Infants were assessed with the Bayley Scales of Mental Development (MDI) at 6 months of age. Results showed the presence of slit-like ventricles in 9755 of the infants during the first 24 hours of life. By 6 months of age, normal ventricular configurations were present in the majority of infants. Nine infants (29%) continued to have slit-like ventricles. However, differences in ventricular configuration were not reflected in developmental status at 6 months of age. No differences were found in the Bayley Mental Development Index scores between infants with slit-like ventricles and those with normal ventricles (t=.98, p > .20). Furthermore, developmental scores for both groups were well within the normal range of development. These results suggest that the presence of slit-like ventricles at birth do not have an adverse effect on development, at least by 6 months of age, even if resumption of normal ventricular configuration has not occurred.
Interracial Encounters: Reciprocal Representations in African American and Asian American Literatures, 1896–1937. Julia H. Lee. New York: New York University Press, 2011.

Interracial Encounters: Reciprocal Representations in African American and Asian American Literatures/1896-1937 Julia H. Lee. New York: New York University Press, 2011.How do you identify yourself as American in a period that enacts exclusion acts that deny you access to full citizenship? What is your status as a racialized being when the foundational narrative of your nation is roiled with anxieties surrounding racial difference? What are some strategies that racial minorities might deploy in negotiating and securing a space inside what historically has been a markedly protean and exclusionary national identity? Moreover, how are these themes explored and reproduced in the literature of the period in which they occur? These are only some of the fascinating questions that Julia Lee explores in Interradal Encounters: Reciprocal Representations in African American and Asian American Literatures, 1896-1937.In her book, Lee notes that at the beginning of the twentieth century, pairings of blacks and Asians were pervasive and frequently deployed, in a wide variety of discourses, to accommodate an evolving narrative on race and national identity. The use of Asian characters in African American novels in this period, like the use of black characters in Asian novels, were natural outgrowths of this practice. The authors of the texts cited in Lee's study used these pairings to generate narratives that were rich and divergent not only in the ways they engaged the question of racial identity but also in the ways in which they explored political alliances across racial divides. Lee notes that, because of the pervasiveness of these pairings of blacks and Asians in cultural texts from fields as widely divergent as history, the law, and science, identity for each group was deeply imbricated in comprehending the other. Because the popular discourse of the day linked them, both blacks and Asians had to take into account the other when conceptualizing their respective communities.Lee focuses her primary attention on seven works from the period 1896-1937. As she makes clear, each of these texts, in interrogating questions of race and exclusion, simultaneously performs other important cultural work. Some of these texts, like Charles Chesnutt's Marrow of Tradition, drew on actual historical events. In Marrow, Chesnutt not only reenacts the event that led to the Supreme Court decision in Plessy v. Ferguson-the denial of access to a white car by a black passenger-he also adds a twist by introducing a Chinese laborer into the equation. …
Methodological and Theoretical Frameworks for the Design of Community Information Systems

Noting that communication technologies are built by human beings rather than constituting naturally occurring features of the environment, we argue that social researchers should become involved in the process of design and adopt an orientation toward inquiry based on the concept of phronesis. Phronesis focuses on questions of ethics and deliberation over values for the purpose of determining how to act in the future. We illustrate how such inquiry might take place in the context of designing a
Role of test motivation in intelligence testing

Intelligence tests are widely assumed to measure maximal intellectual performance, and predictive associations between intelligence quotient (IQ) scores and later-life outcomes are typically interpreted as unbiased estimates of the effect of intellectual ability on academic, professional, and social life outcomes. The current investigation critically examines these assumptions and finds evidence against both. First, we examined whether motivation is less than maximal on intelligence tests administered in the context of low-stakes research situations. Specifically, we completed a meta-analysis of random-assignment experiments testing the effects of material incentives on intelligence-test performance on a collective 2,008 participants. Incentives increased IQ scores by an average of 0.64 SD, with larger effects for individuals with lower baseline IQ scores. Second, we tested whether individual differences in motivation during IQ testing can spuriously inflate the predictive validity of intelligence for life outcomes. Trained observers rated test motivation among 251 adolescent boys completing intelligence tests using a 15-min “thin-slice” video sample. IQ score predicted life outcomes, including academic performance in adolescence and criminal convictions, employment, and years of education in early adulthood. After adjusting for the influence of test motivation, however, the predictive validity of intelligence for life outcomes was significantly diminished, particularly for nonacademic outcomes. Collectively, our findings suggest that, under low-stakes research conditions, some individuals try harder than others, and, in this context, test motivation can act as a third-variable confound that inflates estimates of the predictive validity of intelligence for life outcomes.
How much feedback is necessary for learning to suture

Many laparoscopic simulation training systems exist and have been shown to transfer learning of surgical skills to the operating room. The manner in which the training is structured to maximize learning has not been examined. There are many aspects to the acquisition of laparoscopic skills during training, one of which is the availability of knowledge of results (KR). Knowledge of results is information about the outcome of motor skill execution, usually provided to individuals at the end of the execution. The timing and nature of KR can affect how well people learn new motor skills. In addition, detailed instruction during learning can also affect skill acquisition. We studied the effects of KR and instruction on the learning curve of a suturing and knot-tying task. We hypothesized that KR was necessary for skill acquisition, and that detailed instruction would help trainees to learn to perform the task more correctly and reach a performance plateau earlier. In addition, the overall workload of a trainee during training would decrease as skills improved, especially when KR and coaching were provided. Nine medical students with no previous laparoscopic surgical experience were randomly and evenly divided into three groups with different KR conditions: (1) no KR, (2) KR, (3) KR + instruction. Each subject attended a training session for 1 h each day, 6 days a week for 4 consecutive weeks. Performance measures such as task time, smoothness of instrument, and path length were recorded for each trial. Workload was assessed using the NASA-TLX questionnaire. While KR was necessary for learning to suture, continual instruction had limited additional benefits. However, KR + instruction did reduce subjects’ perceived overall workload. Surgical training could be carried out effectively with only knowledge of results. These results have implications for the staffing of surgical skills laboratories.
Screening for Coagulation Disorders in Adolescents with Abnormal Uterine Bleeding

Abstract Study Objective To determine if screening for coagulation disorders was routinely performed during the evaluation of adolescents with abnormal uterine bleeding. Design A retrospective chart review. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test. P Setting Outpatient clinics of an academic center. Participants Eligible charts of patients age eighteen years and under with abnormal uterine bleeding who were evaluated either by pediatric gynecologists, gynecologists, or pediatricians. Interventions A chart review. Main Outcome Measures Data on provider type, documented patient history and laboratory tests ordered. Results In our review, 43% (n= 36) of patients were evaluated by gynecologists, 38% (n=32) by pediatricians and 19% (n=16) by pediatric gynecologists. The mean age of patients whose charts were reviewed was 15 years. Overall 36.6% (n=30) of providers indicated that they screened for a bleeding disorder by documenting at least one screening question in the patient's history. There was a significant difference among providers with 68.8% (n=11) of pediatric gynecologists documenting at least one screening question, compared to 31.4% (n=11) of gynecologists and 25.8% (n=8) of pediatricians ( P Conclusions The majority of adolescents with abnormal uterine bleeding were not screened for bleeding disorders. The frequency of evaluation for blood dyscrasias varied by specialty.
Molecular targeting of low-grade serous and mucinous carcinomas of the ovary or peritoneum

Over the past decade, the strategy for clinical trial design in making progress against epithelial cancers of the ovary/peritoneum/fallopian tube has changed dramatically. The NRG [the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG)] Rare Tumor Committee has been a leader in this transformation. No longer does “one size fit all.” Rather, separate clinical trials for rare subtypes have been developed, and, in some cases, completed. An enhanced understanding of their pathologic diagnosis, molecular biology, and clinical behavior has galvanized this change. Pathology studies have led to replacement of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) grading system of low-grade serous carcinoma to the binary grading system, and immunohistochemical studies have assisted in distinguishing mucinous carcinoma of the ovary from colorectal cancer. Historically, conventional chemotherapy has demonstrated very limited activity in both histologic subtypes. Preclinical studies have identified and elucidated genes and pathways in both— MAP kinase pathway, IGF1-R, the angiogenesis pathway, and possibly, the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in low-grade serous carcinoma, and KRAS, HER-2/neu amplification, src, and the angiogenesis pathway in mucinous carcinoma—that may serve as targets for novel therapies. MEK inhibitor (MEKi) therapy has shown promising activity in patients with recurrent low-grade serous carcinoma, and the current emphasis is focused on the second generation of MEKi trials and combinations of MEKi and inhibitors of the PI3K/ AKT/mTOR pathway. For mucinous carcinoma, mEOC/GOG 0241 was designed to test both a colorectal cancer-type chemotherapy regimen and anti-angiogenesis therapy but closed prematurely due to slow accrual related to the rarity of this subtype. The experience with targeted therapy is otherwise extremely limited to date. The hope is that lessons learned from the failure of the mEOC/GOG 0241 trial will inform future trials. In summary, there is tremendous potential for progress against these two rare histologic subtypes by leveraging our knowledge of their molecular biology and translating this understanding into improved, novel therapeutics.
And lead us not into thinking the new is new: a bibliographic case for new media history

Must the concept of the study of new media seem so thoroughly ordinary? What does it mean to study new media other than to study media that exist now? Prompted by the 10th anniversary of New Media & Society, this article aims to help rethink and elongate the history of new media studies by merging new media studies and media history literatures.The recursive definition and use of the term `new media' are reviewed. New media need to be understood not as emerging digital communication technologies, so much as media with uncertain terms and uses. Moreover, by recognizing that new media studies quickly become history and that most media history is already new media history, this article calls for a use of both literatures to focus on the renewable nature of media in history. It reflects on a complementary attitude toward history meant to help usher in a sounder future of the study of the past.
Comparison of Sensory Profile scores of young children with and without autism spectrum disorders.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe the sensory-based behaviors of young children with autism as reported by their parents on the Sensory Profile. Factor scores of children with autism were compared with those of children without autism. Method: The Sensory Profile questionnaire was completed by parents of 40 children with autism 3 through 6 years of age and parents of 40 children without autism 3 through 6 years of age. Results: The performance of children with autism was significantly different from that of children without autism on 8 of 10 factors. Factors where differences were found included Sensory Seeking, Emotionally Reactive, Low Endurance/Tone, Oral Sensitivity, Inattention/Distractibility, Poor Registration, Fine Motor/Perceptual, and Other. Conclusion: Findings from the study suggest that young children with autism have deficits in a variety of sensory processing abilities as measured by the Sensory Profile. Further research is needed to replicate these findings, to examine the possibility of subgroups on the basis of sensory processing, and to contrast the sensory processing abilities of children with other disabilities to those of children with autism.
Analysis and design of gas flow reactors with applications to hydrocarbon pyrolysis

The analysis and design of gas flow reactors are customarily based on a plug flow model. Because of transverse concentration and temperature gradients, however, kinetic constants and reactor lengths based on the plug flow model may be in gross error. This paper presents an approximate method of analysis which accounts for the effects of these gradients. We examine a gas in laminar flow which supports a first-order irreversible reaction. Compressibility effects are considered, and the diffusion fluxes are calculated with the full ternary diffusion equations. Instead of solving exactly the full equations of change which describe this system, the well-known Pohlhausen technique is adapted and approximate solutions which satisfy the integral forms of these equations are sought. This reduces the problem to the solution of a set of ordinary differential equations, which are integrated numerically. The main result is a set of graphs giving correction factors to be applied to plug flow kinetic constants and reactor lengths. Although primary interest is in hydrocarbon pyrolysis systems, the integral method graphs are applicable to other reaction systems.
Frequency of Spontaneous Mutations in an Avian Hepadnavirus Infection

In this study, we measured the frequency of revertants of a cytopathic strain of the duck hepatitis B virus that bears a single nucleotide substitution in the pre-S envelope protein open reading frame, resulting in the amino acid substitution G133E. Cytopathic virus mixed with known amounts of a genetically marked wild-type virus was injected into ducklings. Virus outgrowth was accompanied by a coselection of wild-type and spontaneous revertants during recovery of the ducklings from the acute liver injury caused by death of the G133E-infected cells. The frequency of individual revertants in the selected noncytopathic virus population was estimated by determining the ratio of each revertant to the wild-type virus. Spontaneous revertants were found to be present at frequencies of 1 10 5 to 6 10 5 per G133E genome inoculated. A mathematical model was used to estimate that the mutation rate was 0.8 10 5 to 4.5 10 5 per nucleotide per generation. Duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) belongs to the family Hepadnaviridae, a small group of enveloped viruses which cause persistent liver infections and replicate their DNA genomes through reverse transcription of an RNA intermediate (26). Because of the involvement of reverse transcription, the replication of the viral genome is assumed to be error prone and to give rise to a high degree of genetic variation. In humans, HBV can cause acute and chronic liver disease, and genetic variation is believed to be related to the clinical outcome of hepadnavirus infection (for a review, see reference 8). In recent years, it has become more fully appreciated how the presence of a complex mixture of variants in the virus population within a single host, the quasispecies, may enable rapid adaptation to changing environments (5), in particular to selection forces such as antiviral drugs (1), vaccines (4), immunomodulatory substances (20), and other changes in the host’s immune response, leading to the emergence of various resistance and escape mutants (25). Major mechanisms contributing to the complexity of the viral quasispecies are the generation of errors during viral genome replication, environmentally induced mutations, and recombination. Of these, errors in replication are thought to constitute the greatest source for generating variants. The frequency of replication errors in hepadnaviruses is a function of the fidelities of three polymerization reactions which occur during the life cycle in two different compartments. In the nucleus, covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA)-templated positive-strand RNA synthesis is carried out by cellular RNA polymerase (RNA pregenome synthesis), and in the viral core particles, RNA-templated negative-strand DNA synthesis and DNA-templated positive-strand DNA synthesis are both carried out by reverse transcriptase. The relative contributions of the various enzymes involved in different polymerization steps to the overall mutation rate of the virus are not known.
Regulation of Calcium Signaling by polycystin-2

Autosomal dominant PKD (ADPKD) is a common lethal genetic disorder characterized by progressive development of fluid-filled cysts in the kidney and other target organs. ADPKD is caused by mutations...
Characterization of Dynamics Behavior of an Inflatable/Rigidizable Structure

Recently, a 3m -diamet er hexapod structure was designed and built to conduct research on modeling and vibration control of lightweight inflatable space structures. Modeling such structures is a challenging task due to the structure's flexibility and the substantial number of vi bration modes. This paper presents an investigation of the dynamics characteristics of this structure and it is shown that the identified natural frequencies vary as the gain of input excitation changes, demonstrating the nonlinear dynamics of these modes. To investigate and quantify parameter variations, experiments with various levels of sine -sweep excitation at specified narrow frequency bands are conducted to obtain FRF data. To model the variation of the identified parameters, a singular value decompos ition technique is applied to represent the parameter change via an optimal linear interval model.
Population Genetics Of Marine Organisms

Population genetics of marine organisms has a long history and a promising future. The concepts, approaches, and specialized vocabulary of population genetics are defined and put into historical context. Major areas, in which population genetics has been applied to marine organisms, are (1) the discovery and definition of morphologically cryptic, sibling species; (2) measurement of the amount and spatial structure of genetic diversity within species; (3) analysis of temporal genetic change; (4) retrospective analyses of historical collections; and (5) even longer term perspectives afforded by phylogenetic or phylogeographic analyses of DNA sequences or by association of genetic with paleoceanographic information.
Stratigraphic framework and nomenclatural problems in the Pennsylvanian of the Cumberland overthrust sheet, Kentucky and Tennessee

A reassessment of the stratigraphic framework of the Middle Pennsylvanian section in the Cumberland overthrust sheet of Kentucky and Tennessee indicates the need for a revision of correlations and stratigraphic nomenclature. By correlating the Walnut Mountain coal bed, which previously had been mapped in the Hignite Formation, with the Windrock (Fire Clay) coal bed, which defines the base of the underlying Catron Formation, many Pennsylvanian stratigraphic problems are resolved. The new correlation and the identification in measured sections and drillhole logs of regionally extensive marine units help show that these rocks are part of an orderly stratigraphic prism that thickens southeastward.
Interleukin 18 preserves a perforin-dependent graft-versus-leukemia effect after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

We have recently shown that early administration of interleukin 18 (IL-18) after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) attenuates acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in a lethally irradiated parent into F1 (B6-->B6D2F1) BMT model. In this study, we investigated whether IL-18 can maintain graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect in this context. B6D2F1 mice received transplants of T-cell-depleted (TCD) bone marrow (BM) and splenic T cells from either syngeneic (H2(b/d)) or allogeneic B6 (H2(b)) donors. Recipient mice were treated with recombinant murine IL-18 or the control diluent. Initial studies demonstrated that IL-18 treatment did not affect the proliferative responses or the cytolytic effector functions of T cells after BMT. In subsequent experiments, animals also received host-type P815 mastocytoma cells at the time of BMT. All syngeneic BM transplant recipients died from leukemia by day 18. The allogeneic BM transplant recipients effectively rejected their leukemia regardless of treatment and IL-18 significantly reduced GVHD-related mortality. Examination of the cytotoxic mechanisms with perforin-deficient donor T cells demonstrated that perforin is critical for the GVL effect. Taken together these data demonstrate that IL-18 can attenuate acute GVHD without impairing the in vitro cytolytic function or the in vivo GVL activity after allogeneic BMT.
EphA Signaling Impacts Development of Topographic Connectivity in Auditory Corticofugal Systems

Auditory stimulus representations are dynamically maintained by ascending and descending projections linking the auditory cortex (Actx), medial geniculate body (MGB), and inferior colliculus. Although the extent and topographic specificity of descending auditory corticofugal projections can equal or surpass that of ascending corticopetal projections, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that guide their development. Here, we used in utero gene electroporation to examine the role of EphA receptor signaling in the development of corticothalamic (CT) and corticocollicular connections. Early in postnatal development, CT axons were restricted to a deep dorsal zone (DDZ) within the MGB that expressed low levels of the ephrin-A ligand. By hearing onset, CT axons had innervated surrounding regions of MGB in controlelectroporated mice but remained fixed within the DDZ in mice overexpressing EphA7. In vivo neurophysiological recordings demonstrated a corresponding reduction in spontaneous firing rate, but no changes in sound-evoked responsiveness within MGB regions deprived of CT innervation. Structural and functional CT disruption occurred without gross alterations in thalamocortical connectivity. These data demonstrate a potential role for EphA/ ephrin-A signaling in the initial guidance of corticofugal axons and suggest that ‘‘genetic rewiring’’ may represent a useful functional tool to alter cortical feedback without silencing Actx.