cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adenomatous Polyposis Coli-Mediated Accumulation of Abasic DNA Lesions Lead to Cigarette Smoke Condensate-Induced Neoplastic Transformation of Normal Breast Epithelial Cells

Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) is a multifunctional protein having diverse cellular functions including cell migration, cell-cell adhesion, cell cycle control, chromosomal segregation, and apoptosis. Recently, we found a new role of APC in base excision repair (BER) and showed that it interacts with DNA polymerase β and 5′-flap endonuclease 1 and interferes in BER. Previously, we have also reported that cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) increases expression of APC and enhances the growth of normal human breast epithelial (MCF10A) cells in vitro. In the present study, using APC overexpression and knockdown systems, we have examined the molecular mechanisms by which CSC and its major component, Benzo[α]pyrene, enhances APC-mediated accumulation of abasic DNA lesions, which is cytotoxic and mutagenic in nature, leading to enhanced neoplastic transformation of MCF10A cells in an orthotopic xenograft model.
ALLOCATE: A COMPUTER MODEL FOR SALES TERRITORY PLANNING

Recent years have witnessed a renewal of interest in the application of management science techniques to personal selling related problems. Some early applications are described in [2] [7]. Cloonan has employed simulation in examination of the salesman routing problem [3] [4]. Lodish, in CALLPLAN, has devised an interactive call planning system designed to assist sales management and/or salesmen in allocating sales call time more efficiently [6]. Armstrong has devised a system he labels SCHEDULE which estimates the value of calls on accounts [1]. Hess and Samuels have designed a computer based sales districting model which is an analogue of a legislative apportionment model [5]. The objective of this paper is to explore the nature of a call planning system entitled ALLOCATE. ALLOCATE was designed to be employed by upper sales management either as an input device for sales management decisions such as sales-territory-size, or as a vehicle for determining the effects of alternative call allocation strategies on territorial revenue over multiple time periods.
Migration, Displacement, and Violence: Prosecuting Romanian Street Children at the Paris Palace of Justice

This paper examines the displacement and vulnerability associated with the migration of unaccompanied illegal Romanian minors who came as economic migrants to Western Europe found no legal opportunities for work or education and were forced into criminal activity on the streets of French cities such as Paris Lyon and Nice. Beginning in 1997 growing numbers of unaccompanied Romanians mostly boys some as young as age ten many younger than age 15 were subject to systematic prosecution rather than protection in Paris the site of the largest and most influential juvenile court in the nation. They were arrested detained indicted released pending trial judged and sentenced in absentia multiple times with different identities. The Romanian minors were caught without legal papers or visas claimed to be squatters living in abandoned buildings trailers or camps outside Paris and gave little reliable information about their families or lives. Initially arrested for the destruction of city property and the theft of the proceeds from city parking meters they gradually turned to begging shoplifting and prostitution when the city switched from coin to card payment. Deeply concerned by the penalization of a vulnerable population the president of the Paris juvenile court created a special court to deal more humanely with unaccompanied minors in general and Romanian children in particular by establishing their identities and reconnecting them with their families. This article explores the contradictions that emerged between the representation of Romanian children in the media the legal establishment nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and the Government on the one hand and their treatment in the juvenile justice system on the other. It examines the discourse and the context of judging as well as the interactions between court personnel and Romanian minors from in-take interviews in jail and indictment hearings in chambers to judgment in absentia in the formal court. It compares and contrasts cases heard before and after the creation of the special court and centres on the gaps between official rhetoric legal norms and judicial practice. It concludes that the creation of the special court may be having the unintended effect of reinforcing and institutionalizing the very judicial practice it was designed to prevent namely the penalization of marginality. (authors)
Partnering with an Area Hospital to Provide Senior Consumer Health Information

The purpose of this project was to provide better consumer health information and services to a patient population of a hospital-based nursing home. Nintendo Wii® devices were purchased to improve physical activity of patients in the nursing home. All nurses were trained to use MedlinePlus®. MedlinePlus materials were added to the consumer health library in the hospital, and DVD players were purchased for watching consumer health videos. The capacity of the nursing home and hospital to deliver consumer health information to patients and their families has been improved. This project was a great way to introduce a health care system to the services and products of the National Library of Medicine and empower the staff to better provide consumer health information.
Bilateral subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation for advanced PD: correlation of intraoperative MER and postoperative MRI with neuropathological findings.

This postmortem study correlated intraoperative subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) placement and postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with autopsy findings in a patient who died suddenly 4 days postoperatively from a pulmonary embolism. The study demonstrates that (1) MRI stereotactic localization combined with microelectrode recording (MER) is an accurate way to target STN; (2) multiple MER tracts do not cause significant injury to the brain; and (3) postoperative MRI accurately demonstrates location of the DBS electrodes.
Sustained-release indomethacin in the management of the acute painful shoulder from bursitis and/or tendinitis

Of all the forms of nonarticular rheumatism, by far the most common are bursitis and tendinitis. Yet, the bursae and neighboring tendon sheaths are the most neglected anatomic structures of the body. Moreover, like the joints, they are lined by synovial membrane, secrete synovial fluid, and are common sites of rheumatic problems. The vast majority of painful shoulder problems are caused by acute subacromial (subdeltoid) bursitis and bicipital tendinitis. In the management of these periarticular disorders, the ultimate goal is to preserve shoulder motion. Although this is accomplished by daily range-of-motion exercises, it is clearly facilitated by suppression of periarticular inflammation and discomfort through the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Of these, sustained-release indomethacin provides the anti-inflammatory efficacy of indomethacin and by virtue of its sustained-release formulation, may promote patient compliance since it need be given only once or twice daily.
Site Fidelity is an Inconsistent Determinant of Population Structure in the Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes Cucullatus): Evidence from Genetic, Mark–recapture, and Comparative Data

Abstract The level of site fidelity in birds is often characterized as "high" on the basis of rates of return or homing from mark–recapture data. For species that exhibit site fidelity, subsequent biological assumptions have included population structure, demographic independence, and that the extirpation of a site-faithful group might be irreversible because of low immigration. Yet several genetic studies have observed patterns of population differentiation that are incongruous with strong site fidelity, which suggests recent isolation, gene flow, or both. Using a 13-year live-recapture and dead-recovery data set, as well as nuclear and mitochondrial DNA collected across the range of the Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus), an obligate cavity-nester endemic to North America, we found evidence that gene flow persists across portions of the species' range even though the probability of female breeding-site fidelity is high (0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.64–0.98) and disjunct breeding ranges of...
Reaction of dicarbonyl (pentahapto-cyclopentadienyl)(olefin)iron cations with sodium azide

Abstract Reaction of the (h5-C5H5)Fe(CO)2(C2H4) cation with sodium azide yields the azido complex (h5-C5H5)Fe(CO)2N3 by ligand displacement, rather than the isocyanate complex (h5-C5H5)Fe(CO)(C2H4(NCO) as had previously been reported. The azido complex may also be obtained from other (h5-C5H5)Fe(CO)2(olefin) cations or in low yield from (h5-C5H5)Fe(CO)2Cl. The azido complex is converted to the isocyanate complex (h5-C5H5)Fe(CO)2(NCO) in low yield by photolysis, and to a triazole complex on treatment with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate.
Vapor phase growth of thin plates of Cr2O3 single crystals

Abstract Vapor phase growth of Cr 2 O 3 single crystals were made by heating a mixture of Cr 2 O 3 and alkali chromate. Cr 2 O 3 crystals were grown by the reduction of CrO 3 produced from the mixture. The grown crystals were plates in rhombic or hexagonal form. The green transparent crystals with maximum area of 1 cm 2 were obtained by heating the mixture of Cr 2 O 3 and Li 2 CrO 4 (1 : 2 in molar ration) at 1400°C for 20 h.
Bistable interstitial-carbon–substitutional-carbon pair in silicon

A bistable interstitial-carbon--substitutional-carbon pair has been identified in electron-irradiated silicon by a combination of several spectroscopic experimental techniques. In the positive and negative charge states, the stable configuration of the defect involves a carbon-silicon ``molecule'' which occupies a single lattice site (each atom threefold coordinated) next to a substitutional-carbon atom (fourfold coordinated). In the neutral charge state, the defect rearranges its bonds so that both carbon atoms become substitutional (fourfold coordinated) with a twofold-coordinated silicon atom nestled between them. Detailed microscopic models and configurational-coordinate energy surfaces for each of the three charge states have been obtained.
The complementary use of regression diagnostics and robust estimators

Regression modeling for prediction or forecasting purposes is critically dependent on the quality of the data which are used to estimate the model parameters. Extreme response or predictor-variable values can substantially influence least-squares estimates and disproportionately affect predictions. Robust alternatives to least-squares are less sensitive to extreme observations and can provide more precise predictions. In this article diagnostic displays are used to identify extreme observations and to assess the sensitivity of least-squares parameter estimates and predictions to the inclusion of these observations in a data set. The displays are shown to aid in the interpretation of weights which robust estimators assign to influential observations.
Tempest in a tea pot: How did the public conversation on genetically modified crops drift so far from the facts?

The debate over genetically modified (GM) crops has raged in Europe since 1996, but had barely risen above a whisper in the USA until recent labeling debates raised public attention. This article will explain GM crops and traits discuss safety assessment provide a view on safety from authoritative organizations discuss selected issues of current debate, and provide the author’s perspective as to why the public debate has drifted so far from scientific reality. The economic and environmental benefits of GM crops are beyond scope, but references are provided. GM food and feed undergo comprehensive assessments using recognized approaches to assure they are as safe as the conventional congener. Issues of food safety and nutrition, unrelated to the GM process, may arise when GM foods display novel components or composition. Unanticipated genetic effects in GM crops appear to be limited in contrast to existing variations among conventional varieties resulting from breeding, mutation, and natural mobile genetic elements. Allergenic potential is assessed when selecting genes for introduction into GM crops and remains a theoretical risk to date. Emerging weed and insect resistance is not unique to GM technology and will require the use of integrated pest management/best practices for pest control. Gene flow from GM crops to wild relatives is limited by existing biological barriers but can at time be a relevant consideration in gene selection and planting practices. Insect-resistant GM crops have significantly reduced use of chemical insecticides and appear to have reduced the incidence of pesticide poisoning in areas where small scale farming and hand application are common. Changes in herbicide patterns are more complex and are evolving over time in response to weed resistance management needs. Recent public debate is driven by a combination of unfounded allegations about the technology and purveyors, pseudoscience, and attempts to apply a strict precautionary principle.
Re-visitation on the input impedance of two-arm frequency-independent antennas in free space

The proposed analytical close-form solutions for the input impedance of planar two-arm Archimedean spiral antenna in free space is a function of metallization ratio and can fulfill the Babinet's principle fundamentally. Therefore, the applications of proposed model to other planar frequency-independent (FI) antennas are examined and discussed in this paper. It is found that Archimedean and equiangular spiral can be truly FI antennas based on their geometric formulas, while log-periodic and sinuous antennas exhibit FI properties only at self-complementary structure. Measurements and numerical simulations of several FI antennas validate the statement.
Responsivity and absolute sensitivity of retinal ganglion cells in goldfish of different sizes, when measured under "psychophysical" conditions.

Retinal neurogenesis occurs in adult goldfish and more rods are added to the retina than any other class of cell as the fish grows. To determine whether the disproportionate addition of rods affects the responsivity and sensitivity of dark adapted retinal ganglion cells, we recorded activity from optic tract fibers in goldfish of different sizes. Experimental conditions were as similar as possible to those used in a separate study in which psychophysical absolute thresholds were measured: large, dim, monochromatic spots 1 sec in duration were projected close to the right eye of alert, self-respiring goldfish. A total of 214 fibers were recorded in small (5.0–5.7 cm), medium (9.5–11.0 cm) and large (13.0–20.0 cm) fish. Neither maintained activity (mean and variance of the discharge rate in darkness) nor responsivity (quantum-to-spike ratios) nor absolute threshold (quantal irradiance required to produce a difference of 1 spike/trial from spontaneous rates) varied reliably with size of fish. However, some Off cells were more active in the dark than On and On/Off cells; these had low QSR's and absolute thresholds, and were found in all sizes of fish. Fifty percent (50%) of Off cells (compared to 8% of On cells) had thresholds comparable to or lower than psychophysical threshold and Off cell thresholds (but not On cell thresholds) tended to be lower in larger fish. Because psychophysical threshold is closely related to the planimetric density of rods in goldfish, the similarity between Off cell threshold and psychophysical threshold suggests that Off cells may be influenced relatively more than On cells by the addition of new rods to the retina.
Helicopter trim with flap-lag-torsion and stall by an optimized controller

An autopilot is applied to helicopter rotor flap-lag-torsion equations to obtain the control settings for a trimmed flight condition. The rotor aerodynamic description includes a stage-space dynamic stall model for lift and for pitching moments. Thus, the rotor is trimmed for flight conditions in which significant stall and torsional deformations are present. The autopilot is extended to Q-bladed rotors by a series of time-delay terms. As a result, the optimum gains and time constants depend upon the number of blades as well as upon the torsional stiffness.
Molecular and Immunologic Characterization of Gynogenetic Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus).

Second-generation gynogenetic channel catfish were characterized by molecular and immunologic assays to determine if they were isogenic at major histocompatibility complex loci. Southern blot analyses, using channel catfish MHC class II B and class I A gene probes, revealed identical banding patterns among second-generation gynogenetic fish. In contrast, banding patterns from outbred fish differed not only from gynogenetic animals, but also among themselves. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the MHC class II β1 domain, which encompasses the peptide binding region, from four randomly selected gynogenetic fish showed a single DNA sequence. In contrast, analysis of the same region from three outbred fish showed sequences that differed not only among themselves, but also from those of gynogenetic animals. In cytotoxic assays, peripheral blood leukocytes from outbred fish lysed both gynogenetic and allogeneic targets, whereas those from gynogenetic fish lysed only allogeneic targets. Taken together, these results suggest that this group of second-generation gynogenetic channel catfish is isogenic at MHC loci and may provide an excellent system with which to study cell-mediated immunity in teleosts.
Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Thromboembolic Complications of Childhood Nephrotic Syndrome: A Midwest Pediatric Nephrology Consortium (MWPNC) Study

Objectives To identify clinical variables predictive of the risk of thromboembolism (TE), and to confirm the incidence of TE in primary and secondary childhood nephrotic syndrome (NS). Study design A comprehensive chart review identified 326 children with NS from any cause evaluated between 1999 and 2006. These patients had a total of 1472.8 patient-years of follow-up. Comparison statistics, survival analysis, and logistic regression were used to define TE epidemiology and clinical risk factors. Results We found that 9.2% of our cohort had experienced at least 1 TE. The overall incidence was 20.4 patients with TEs/1000 patient-years. The median time to the first TE was 70.5 days after diagnosis of NS. Deep venous thrombosis was the most common TE (76%) and was frequently associated with the use of a central venous catheter (45%). Significant independent predictors of TE included age ≥ 12 years at onset of NS ( P P P Conclusions Children with NS should be carefully followed for TE, particularly those who are age 12 years or older, have severe proteinuria, or have a previous history of TE.
Event Sequence and Event Duration: Colligation and Measurement

(1984). Event Sequence and Event Duration: Colligation and Measurement. Historical Methods: A Journal of Quantitative and Interdisciplinary History: Vol. 17, No. 4, pp. 192-204.
The effect of posterior decompressive procedures on segmental range of motion after cervical total disc arthroplasty.

STUDY DESIGN We quantified the segmental biomechanics of a cervical total disc replacement (TDR) before and after progressive posterior decompression. We hypothesized that posterior decompressive procedures would not significantly increase range of motion (ROM) at the index TDR level. OBJECTIVE To quantify the kinematics of a cervical total disc replacement (TDR) before and after posterior cervical decompression. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA A reported yet unaddressed issue is the potential for the development of same-segment disease after implantation of a cervical TDR and the implications of same-segment posterior decompression on TDR mechanics. METHODS Eight human cadaveric cervical spines C3-C7 were tested in flexion-extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation while intact, after C5-C6 TDR, C5-C6 unilateral foraminotomy, C5-C6 bilateral foraminotomies, and after C5 laminectomy in combination with the bilateral foraminotomies. Moment versus angular motion curves were obtained for each testing step, and the load-displacement data were analyzed to determine the range of angular motion for each step. RESULTS Unilateral foraminotomy did not result in a statistically significant increase in flexion-extension ROM, and did not increase the ROM to a degree greater than normal. Although bilateral foraminotomies did increase flexion-extension ROM, motion remained within a physiological range. A full laminectomy added to the bilateral foraminotomies significantly increased ROM and was also associated with distortion of the load-displacement curves. CONCLUSION With respect to segmental biomechanics as demonstrated, we think that for same-segment disease, a unilateral foraminotomy can be performed safely. However, the impact of in vivo conditions was not accounted for in this model, and it is possible that cyclical loading and other physiological stresses on such a construct may affect the behavior and lifespan of the implant in a way that cannot be predicted by a biomechanical study. Bilateral foraminotomies would require close observation and additional clinical follow-up, whereas complete laminectomy combined with bilateral foraminotomies should be avoided after TDR given the significant changes in kinematics. In addition, future disc replacement designs may need to account for changes after posterior decompression for same-segment disease. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE N/A.
Microstructure-Level Machining Simulation of Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Polymer Composites-Part I. Model Development and Validation

A microstructure-level finite element machining model has been developed to simulate the machining of carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced polymer composites. The model integrates a failure model with a previously developed microstructure-based material model. The competition between ductile and brittle modes of failure in the polymer phase (polycarbonate) is captured by implementing the Gearing and Anand failure model calibrated at different temperatures. The CNT phase is given a simple strain-to-failure criterion. The proposed machining model has been validated at different orthogonal machining conditions for the plain polycarbonate and for composites with two different percentage loadings of CNTs. On an average, the model is seen to successfully predict the cutting forces with an accuracy of 8% and the thrust forces with an accuracy of 13.4% for all the materials. The machining model also predicts the continuous chip morphology and formation of adiabatic shear bands in plain polycarbonate and for composites with lower loadings of CNTs. On an average, the chip thicknesses are predicted within an accuracy of 14% for plain polycarbonate and 10% for the CNT composites.
Visualizing secretion and synaptic transmission with pH-sensitive green fluorescent proteins

In neural systems, information is often carried by ensembles of cells rather than by individual units. Optical indicators provide a powerful means to reveal such distributed activity, particularly when protein-based and encodable in DNA: encodable probes can be introduced into cells, tissues, or transgenic organisms by genetic manipulation, selectively expressed in anatomically or functionally defined groups of cells, and, ideally, recorded in situ, without a requirement for exogenous cofactors. Here we describe sensors for secretion and neurotransmission that fulfil these criteria. We have developed pH-sensitive mutants of green fluorescent protein ('pHluorins') by structure-directed combinatorial mutagenesis, with the aim of exploiting the acidic pH inside secretory vesicles to monitor vesicle exocytosis and recycling. When linked to a vesicle membrane protein, pHluorins were sorted to secretory and synaptic vesicles and reported transmission at individual synaptic boutons, as well as secretion and fusion pore 'flicker' of single secretory granules.
The occurrence of polyadenylate sequences in bacteria and yeast.

Abstract The steady state level of AMP-rich polynucleotides has been measured in the total RNA of E. coli and S. cerevisiae by hybridization to polythymidylate covalently bonded to cellulose. In both cells, the levels of polyadenylate were an order of magnitude below the nearly one percent found in the total RNA of mammalian cells. The poly A from E. coli had an electrophoretic mobility similar to that from mammalian cells previously reported as 180–200 nucleotides in length. That from yeast was more hetereogenous with much of it migrating more rapidly than transfer RNA during electrophoresis.
Association between urokinase haplotypes and outcome from infection-associated acute lung injury.

Alterations in coagulation, including elevated pulmonary and systemic concentrations of urokinase, are frequent in patients with acute lung injury (ALI). Urokinase potentiates neutrophil activation and contributes to the severity of pulmonary injury in preclinical models of ALI. The objective of this study was to examine associations between polymorphisms and haplotypes of urokinase with risk for and outcomes from ALI. Prospective cohorts of healthy European-American adults and those with infection-associated ALI. Academic medical centers participating in NIH funded studies of low tidal volume ventilation for ALI. Controls were 175 healthy European-American subjects. Patients were 252 individuals with infection-associated ALI, prospectively followed for 60 days for mortality. Genetic polymorphisms and haplotypes in the urokinase gene were determined. Six polymorphisms, rs1916341, rs2227562, rs2227564, rs2227566, rs2227571, and rs4065, defining 98% of all urokinase haplotypes, were analyzed. There were no statistically significant associations between any single urokinase polymorphism or haplotype and risk for developing ALI. In contrast, there was a statistically significant relationship between the CGCCCC haplotype and both 60-day mortality and ventilator-free days that remained present in a multivariate analysis controlling for age and sex (p = 0.033 for 60-day mortality and < 0.001 for ventilator-free days). These results identify a specific urokinase haplotype as a genetic risk factor for higher mortality and more severe clinical outcome in patients with infection-associated ALI.
Preoperative atrial fibrillation and long-term survival after open heart surgery in a rural tertiary heart institute

Abstract Background Preoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality after open heart surgery. However, the impact of preoperative AF on long-term survival after open heart surgery has not been widely examined in rural populations. Patients from rural regions are less likely to receive treatment for cardiac conditions and to have adequate medical insurance coverage. Objective To examine the influence of preoperative AF on long-term survival following open heart surgery in rural eastern North Carolina. Methods Long-term survival was compared in patients with and without preoperative AF after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and CABG plus valve (CABG + V) surgery between 2002 and 2011. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed using a Cox regression model. Results The study population consisted of 5438 patients. A total of 263 (5%) patients had preoperative AF. Preoperative AF was an independent predictor of long-term survival (open heart surgery: adjusted HR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.3–2.0; CABG: adjusted HR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.3–2.1; CABG + V: adjusted HR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.1–2.3). Conclusion Preoperative AF is an important predictor of long-term survival after open heart surgery in this rural population.
MATIA: a programmable 80 /spl mu/W/frame CMOS block matrix transform imager architecture

In this paper, we introduce our CMOS block MAtrix Transform Imager Architecture (MATIA). This imager is capable of performing programmable matrix operations on an image. The imager architecture is both modular and programmable. The pixel used in this architecture performs matrix multiplication while maintaining a high fill factor (46%), comparable to active pixel sensors. Floating gates are used to store the arbitrary matrix coefficients on-chip. The chip operates in the subthreshold domain and thus has low power consumption (80 /spl mu/W/frame). We present data for different convolutions and block transforms that were implemented using this architecture, and also present data from baseline JPEG and motion JPEG systems which we have implemented using MATIA.
Women of the Caribbean

Women of the Caribbean. Pat Ellis (editor). London and New Jersey: Zed Books Ltd, 1986 (second impression, 1988). + 165pp. $15.00 (paper). ISBN 86232-597-8.
Affirmation of states’ authority to define “legitimate medical purpose”

In Gonzales v. Oregon, [1][1] the Supreme Court of the United States has affirmed the ruling of two lower federal courts that the states, not the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), have the authority to determine what prescriptions have been issued for a “legitimate medical purpose.” The context
Test–Retest Reliability of Eye Tracking in the Visual World Paradigm for the Study of Real-Time Spoken Word Recognition

Purpose Researchers have begun to use eye tracking in the visual world paradigm (VWP) to study clinical differences in language processing, but the reliability of such laboratory tests has rarely b...
Specifying production times in the ACT-R cognitive modeling system using evoked response potential latency

An Adaptive Control of Though Rational (ACT-R, [1]) model was built to simulate the results of an experiment that tested the relationship between brain dynamics measured with event-related potentials (ERPs) and cognitive processing associated with mathematical rule matching by having participants decide whether a presented number fit a predefined mathematical rule. Specifically, we used the latency of the N1 and P3 ERP components to assess differences in time to perceptual encoding [2] and context updating [3] respectively across three numerical rule matching conditions: Negative (press a button if the number is negative), Odd (press if the number is odd), and Complex (press if the number is negative and greater than -6 or greater than 5). First, it was hypothesized that participants would take an equal amount of time to perceptually encode a number regardless of rule difficulty and therefore N1 latency would be unchanged across levels of rule complexity. Second, it was hypothesized that P3 latency would be longer with more difficult rules since updating contextual memory cannot occur until the participant classified the stimulus as following or not following the rule. The results of the study supported these hypotheses showing that N1 latency did not change based on rule, whereas P3 latency increased with rule complexity (Figure ​(Figure11). Figure 1 The ERP waveform at electrode site Pz, where P3 was evaluated as the latency marking 50% of the area under the P3 curve. Deciding whether a presented number was negative was least difficult and had the earliest P3 latency. Deciding whether the number ... Using the same method as had been previously established [3], model building consisted of determining the necessary productions (i.e., mental steps in ACT-R), arranging the productions, and assigning production times to simulate the timing of the cognitive correlates of the ERPs. This process specified production times in ACT-R that may be used in new models instead of relying on default and arbitrary assignment of production times.
Ammonia Assimilation Enzymes in a Thermophilic Bacillus sp. of Marine Origin

The physiology of ammonia assimilation enzymes was examined in Bacillus sp. FE-1, a thermophilic marine bacterium. Glutamine synthetase (GS) and glutamate synthase (GOGAT) activities varied with the nitrogen source present in the medium, ranging as much as 10-fold for the former and 2.5-fold for the latter. Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) was detected but, under the growth conditions studied, levels were not affected by the nitrogen source. Anaerobic growth in the presence of nitrate yielded enzyme levels that were not significantly different from those measured under aerobic growth. Partially purified GS exhibited a temperature optimum between 65 ~ and 75~ The enzyme's Mn2+-dependent reverse transferase activity was stimulated by KzSO 4 and demonstrated some tolerance to NaC1. Hyperbolic kinetics were observed for ammonium, with an apparent KM of 1.0 raM. Members of the genus Bacillus exhibit an elaborate adaptive response to conditions of environmental stress. Nutrient deprivation, for example, will trig- ger a complex sequence of physiological and mor- phological changes resulting in endospore develop- ment. While research into the physiology and molecular biology of spore formation has focused on the mesophile Bacillus subtilis, comparatively little is known about the regulation of gene expres- sion in the thermophilic and psychrophilic represen- tatives of the genus. Furthermore, Bacillus strains isolated from the marine environment have not been examined in any detail. Although these species ac- count for only a small percentage of the bacteria in the ocean, they may provide further insight into the strategies utilized by marine bacteria enabling them to adapt to their surroundings. We have been studying strain FE-1, a thermo- philic Bacillus sp. of marine origin, that was isolated from sediments of the West Florida Escarpment cold seep (10). These seep communities resemble those associated with hydrothermal vents discovered along East Pacific Rise ridge crests. Escarpment sed- iment had characteristically high concentrations of
Networks of habitat patches in tsetse fly control: Implications of metapopulation structure on assessing local extinction probabilities

Abstract Controlling tsetse fly populations in much of sub-Saharan Africa is one of the great challenges in stopping the spread of trypanosomosis diseases in both humans and domestic livestock. Mathematical models have been used for informing control efforts against this fly. However, often these models are too simple and do not address spatial complexity. In this brief communication, network theory is used to construct a metapopulation model to test standard results from some of these models that derive female extinction probability and show that by adding spatial complexity of metapopulation theory the extinction probability of the flies change in biologically significant ways.
Quantum dots for quantitative imaging: from single molecules to tissue

Since their introduction to biological imaging, quantum dots (QDs) have progressed from a little known, but attractive, technology to one that has gained broad application in many areas of biology. The versatile properties of these fluorescent nanoparticles have allowed investigators to conduct biological studies with extended spatiotemporal capabilities that were previously not possible. In this review, we focus on QD applications that provide enhanced quantitative information concerning protein dynamics and localization, including single particle tracking and immunohistochemistry, and finish by examining the prospects of upcoming applications, such as correlative light and electron microscopy and super-resolution. Advances in single molecule imaging, including multi-color and three-dimensional QD tracking, have provided new insights into the mechanisms of cell signaling and protein trafficking. New forms of QD tracking in vivo have allowed the observation of biological processes at molecular level resolution in the physiological context of the whole animal. Further methodological development of multiplexed QD-based immunohistochemistry assays should enable more quantitative analysis of key proteins in tissue samples. These advances highlight the unique quantitative data sets that QDs can provide to further our understanding of biological and disease processes.
Modification of the antitumor action of Corynebacterium parvum by stress

Social grouping and isolation of mice, in the presence of an acute stressor, were found to differentially affect the antitumor action of the immunological adjuvant Corynebacterium parvum. Socially grouped DBA/2j mice were injected intradermally with P815 mastocytoma ascites cells. Half the mice had a threshold dose of C. parvum admixed with the P815 cells. Half the mice in each of those conditions were given acute, inescapable electric footshock. In a second experiment, the stressed mice were socially isolated prior to the acute stress. Tumor growth itself was not affected by the stress procedures. C. parvum inhibited tumor growth in non-stressed and socially isolated, stressed mice. However, social grouping selectively negated the C. parvum effect resulting in tumor growth and mortality equivalent to mice not given the adjuvant. Psychological factors may be important to the development of concomitant immunity and the efficacy of immunotherapies.
Priority-based broadcasting of sensitive data in error-prone wireless networks

Providing reliable transmission in wireless communication networks is an important problem which is typically addressed using feedback and acknowledgment messages. In the networks where using feedbacks is not possible, such as realtime systems, an alternative approach is to maximize the possible gain that the destination nodes are expected to receive. In this paper, we consider transmission of data with different priorities, and study the problem of maximizing the total gain in the case that partial data retrieval is acceptable. We propose an optimal solution that benefits from network coding. We also consider the case of burst errors and discuss how can we make our proposed method robust to this type of error. We evaluate our proposed priority-based data transmission method using both simulations and results from the implementation on a USRP testbed. Keywords—Symbol-level coding, broadcasting, reliability, burst error, random linear network coding, priority, wireless networks, USRP testbed.
The effect of polychlorinated biphenyls on liver gluconeogenic enzyme activities in rats during exposure to cold

Abstract Rats were fed diets containing either 0, 75, or 400 ppm Aroclor 1254. after 2 weeks on the diets, 4 animals per group were placed in the cold at 4° for an additional 2 weeks. Rats maintained at 4° gained less weight and had decreased adipose tissue weights as compared with animals at 25°. Ingestion of Aroclor 1254, a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), increased liver weights in the cold and at ambient temperature. Blood glucose was also significantly decreased in the cold-exposed rats fed 400 ppm PCB. At both temperatures, PCB decreased the specific activity (μmoles/g liver/min) of phosphoenol-pyruvate carboxykinase (PEPck) and fructose-1,6-diphosphatase (FDPase). Cold exposure significantly incresed the activity of PEPck and glucose-6-phosphatase (G-6-Pase) in rats fed PCB. When the activities were expressed as total μmoles/100 g body weight/min to correct for PCB-induced hepatomegaly, no significant differences were observed in the key gluconeogenic enzymes for PCB-fed rats at 25°. At 4°, FDPase and G-6-Pase activities were significantly increased with PCB feeding. Malic enzyme was significantly increased with PCB at both temperatures, regardless of the method of calculation. PCB ingestion had no effect on mitochondrial pyruvate metabolism. These studies indicate that ingestion of PCB (as Aroclor 1254) does not alter the response of the gluconeogenic enzymes to cold exposure.
Control of intake by human-milk-fed infants: relationships between feeding size and interval

Diurnal feeding behavior of 24 exclusively breast-fed infants was examined at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks to assess whether milk intake at a feeding was related to previous (preprandial) or subsequent (postprandial) intervals between feedings. Amount of human milk consumed per feeding and intervals between feedings were measured over a 72-hr period. Correlation analyses revealed that volume of milk ingested at a feeding (meal size) was positively related to preprandial interval at all 5 ages (r = 0.39-0.47, p less than 0.0001). Meal size was likewise related, but not as strongly, to postprandial interval at 4 of the 5 time points examined (r = 0.17-0.25, p less than 0.01). Results of the correlational analyses revealed clear, consistent preprandial correlations, providing evidence for a reactive type feeding pattern among the solely breast-fed infants. Postprandial correlations, possibly reflect an anticipatory feeding pattern, were present but remained consistently low over the 3 months examined, providing little evidence of a developmental shift. This study provides a preliminary foundation for future longitudinal studies that address the regulation of food intake among infants.
Attenuated Free Cholesterol Loading-induced Apoptosis but Preserved Phospholipid Composition of Peritoneal Macrophages from Mice That Do Not Express Group VIA Phospholipase A2

Mouse macrophages undergo ER stress and apoptosis upon free cholesterol loading (FCL). We recently generated iPLA(2)beta-null mice, and here we demonstrate that iPLA(2)beta-null macrophages have reduced sensitivity to FCL-induced apoptosis, although they and wild-type (WT) cells exhibit similar increases in the transcriptional regulator CHOP. iPLA(2)beta-null macrophages are also less sensitive to apoptosis induced by the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibitor thapsigargin and the scavenger receptor A ligand fucoidan, and restoring iPLA(2)betaexpression with recombinant adenovirus increases apoptosis toward WT levels. WT and iPLA(2)beta-null macrophages incorporate [(3)H]arachidonic acid ([(3)H]AA]) into glycerophosphocholine lipids equally rapidly and exhibit identical zymosan-induced, cPLA(2)alpha-catalyzed [(3)H]AA release. In contrast, although WT macrophages exhibit robust [(3)H]AA release upon FCL, this is attenuated in iPLA(2)beta-null macrophages and increases toward WT levels upon restoring iPLA(2)beta expression. Recent reports indicate that iPLA(2)beta modulates mitochondrial cytochrome c release, and we find that thapsigargin and fucoidan induce mitochondrial phospholipid loss and cytochrome c release into WT macrophage cytosol and that these events are blunted in iPLA(2)beta-null cells. Immunoblotting studies indicate that iPLA(2)beta associates with mitochondria in macrophages subjected to ER stress. AA incorporation into glycerophosphocholine lipids is unimpaired in iPLA(2)beta-null macrophages upon electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry analyses, and their complex lipid composition is similar to WT cells. These findings suggest that iPLA(2)beta participates in ER stress-induced macrophage apoptosis caused by FCL or thapsigargin but that deletion of iPLA(2)beta does not impair macrophage arachidonate incorporation or phospholipid composition.
Learning Disabilities Research: Defining Populations

This article emphasizes the need of a uniform format for defining the populations selected for research, particularly with disabled individuals. It is maintained that if researchers describe their subject populations according to certain criteria, other researchers would be better able to replicate their efforts and practitioners, in turn, would be more apt to implement their recommendations. It is suggested that researchers explain populations consistently within at least the four following categories: situational variables, demographic variables, instructional variables, and motivational level. The population descriptions from three articles are presented and scrutinized in terms of the four categories.
Micro-cross sections of banana and plantains (Musa spp.) : morphogenesis and regeneration of callus and shoot buds

Abstract Micro-cross sections of the banana cultivar ‘Williams’ (AAA genome) and two plantain cultivars ‘Horn’ plantain (AAB genome) and ‘Cachaco’ (ABB genome) were studied for adventitious shoot and callus formation. Micro-cross sections were derived from the lower to the upper leaf segments from plants of all the three genotypes. An average of 15 shoot buds could be obtained from micro-cross sections derived from each comb on a shoot-inducing multiplication medium. The shoot buds could be successfully regenerated to plantlets. Embryogenic callus could also be induced when micro-cross sections were placed on a callus-induction medium, and an average of 5–6 plantlets could be regenerated from each micro-cross section. The frequency of regenerable callus and shoot-bud formation was correlated with the position, developmental stage and genotype of the explant. The application of micro-cross sections of banana and plantains for regeneration of plants might be a useful alternative to cell suspensions and protoplast culture in banana and plantain transformation and toxin selection studies.
Microbodies of the rat renal proximal tubule: ultrastructural and cytochemical investigations.

The present study was undertaken to provide a detailed morphological and cytochemical characterization of the microbodies of the rat renal proximal tubule following perfusion fixation. The following observations were made: 1) Two basic types of microbodies (Mb-I and Mb-II) can be identified. Mb-I have both circular and tubular profiles which are located peripherally within the granular matrix of these microbodies. Mb-II have marginal plates and crystalloid inclusion in addition to circular and tubular profiles. 2) Circular and tubular profiles, 100 nm in diameter, described by previous investigators as being infrequent in occurrence, are the most consistent morphological characteristic of rat renal microbodies after perfusion fixation. These profiles have a homogeneous center surrounded by a double or single ring of granules. The uniform size and spacing of these granules within profiles establish a basic 100 A periodicity found in both types of microbodies. 3) Evidence is presented which suggests that both “nucleoids” and “tubular protrusion rods” as described by other investigators of the rat renal microbodies may result from poor fixation and/or osmotic stress. 4) The density of the matrix of Mb-I is, in contrast to previous reports, greater than the density of adjacent mitochondria. 5) Marginal plates or crystalloid inclusions were demonstrated in some microbodies (Mb-II) of all the rats studied; periodicities of 100, 200, and 300 A were identified within these structures. 6) Both types of microbodies were positive for catalase activity, but were negative for acid phosphatase activity.
Synthesis and carbonylation of oxotitanocyclobutanes derived from allene cycloaddition to a monomeric titanocene oxide

Abstract Cycloaddition of monosubstituted allenes with a monomeric, base free titanocene oxide resulted in isolation and crystallographic characterization of the corresponding oxatitanacyclobutanes. In solution these compounds are a mixture of ( E ) and ( Z ) isomers and interconvert by mechanisms that are dependent on the specific substitution of the allene. Facile carbonylation of the oxatitanacyclobutanes was also observed to yield rare examples of structurally characterized oxatitanacyclopentanones. Isomerization of these species was observed in the presence of proton sources. These studies highlight the new chemistry available from synthesis of base free titanocene oxide compounds enabled by appropriate cyclopentadienyl substitution.