cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Current insights regarding neurological and developmental abnormalities in children and young adults with complex congenital cardiac disease.

Summary Figure 4 represents some of the current understandingregarding the multiple factors which may adverselyaffect the central nervous system in children withcomplex congenital cardiac disease. There is a grow-ing body of literature showing suboptimal outcomesin school-age children, particularly with respect toattention, behavior, higher-order executive function,handwriting and school performance. Many of the riskfactors for adverse outcomes are strongly interrelated, Fetus Birth Surgery Earlyoutcomes • Abnormal cerebral resistance• Low cerebral oxygen content• Genetic syndromes Abnormal brain at birth Small head circumferencestructural abnormalitiesperiventricular leukomalacia(PVL)Preoperative modifiers • Low cerebral blood flow• Low cerebral content of oxygen• Morbidity on intensive care unit (ICU)• Hypothermia• Circulatory arrest• Cardiopulmonary bypass Early modifiers • Hypoxemia• Hypotension• Alterations in cerebral blood flow• Hyperthermia• Other ICU morbidities• Seizures• Genetic polymorphisms
Changes in the chain length of folypolyglutamates during liver regeneration

Abstract Partial hepatectomy significantly alters the proportions of folypolyglutamates of different chain lengths in rat liver. Hexa- and heptaglutamates increase at the expense of tetra- and pentaglutamates. Methyl hexaglutamates account for most of the increase in hexaglutamates, and folates with formyl oxidation-level one-carbon substituents for most of the increase in heptaglutamates. These changes are reversible and believed to represent an element of regulation of one-carbon metabolism.
Identification and characterization of cellular binding proteins (receptors) for recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2B, an initiator of bone differentiation cascade.

Abstract Bone morphogenetic protein 2B (BMP 2B), is a heparin-binding bone differentiation factor that initiates endochondral bone formation in rats when implanted subcutaneously. The molecular mechanism of action of this differentiation factor is not known, and as a first step we have examined BMP 2B-responsive cells for the presence of specific cellular binding proteins. Using 125I-labeled BMP 2B, specific high-affinity binding sites for recombinant human BMP 2B on MC3T3 E1 osteoblast-like cells as well as on NIH 3T3 fibroblasts were identified. Platelet-derived growth factor, insulin-like growth factor 1, basic fibroblast growth factor, epidermal growth factor, and transforming growth factor beta did not compete for the binding of radiolabeled BMP 2B. The binding of BMP 2B is a time- and temperature-dependent process. Chemical crosslinking of radiolabeled BMP showed two components (apparent size, 200 and 70 kDa in MC3T3 E1 cells and 200 and 90 kDa in NIH 3T3 cells). A minor component at 60 kDa was also detected in both cell lines. Scatchard analysis of the binding data showed a high-affinity receptor with an apparent dissociation constant of 128 +/- 40 pM in MC3T3 E1 cells. These data demonstrate specific, high-affinity cell-surface binding proteins for BMP 2B.
More examples of metric spaces where the inductive dimensions disagree

We give three examples of metric spaces where the inductive dimensions disagree. The two main examples are both N-compact. The first has closed sets which are not clopen Borel (Borel in the σ-algebra generated by the clopen sets). The second has weight ω1 and, assuming all sets of cardinality ω1 in the interval are Q-sets, contrasts the first by having all closed sets clopen Borel. The third example provides, for each α with ω1⩽α⩽c, a metric space of weight α with noncoinciding dimensions for which all subsets of weight less than α are strongly zero-dimensional. Each example answers a question posed by Mrowka.
The requirements for chemical disequilibrium during magma migration

Abstract Recent geochemical studies of MORB genesis suggest that at least some degree of chemical disequilibrium occues during the transport of magma to the surface. If disequilibrium transport does occur in the mantle, it would seem to preclude melt being distributed in a porous network on grain boundaries that could rapidly re-equilibrate with the solid. The questions remain however, as to how big a melt “channel” is required to produce disequilibrium and whether flow in such channels would violate assumptions inherent in the equations of magma migration. Using a series of simple physical scaling arguments, we quantify the requirements for chemical disequilibrium and lay out the conditions for which the melt migration equations are valid. These arguments show that a vein network with veins ∼ 10 cm apart is sufficient to cause significant disequilibrium. More precisely, these arguments show that to maintain equilibrium, the solid-state diffusion coefficient would need to increase by 2–4 orders of magnitude for every order of magnitude increase in channel spacing. Nevertheless, because the equations of magma migration are a macroscopic description of melt flow, they can readily describe even large scale networks of melt channels. By demonstrating the fundamental scalings governing the chemistry and motion of partial melts, these simple arguments show that, while the chemistry may be extremely sensitive to the microscopic distribution of melt, our physical understanding of magma migration is robust.
Reconsidering 'Trends and random walks in macroeconomic time series' *

Abstract We employ a Bayesian perspective to identify the type of prior needed to support the inference that most macroeconomic time series follow random walks. For many of the series considered by Nelson and Plosser (1982) the required prior involves assigning very low probability to trendstationary alternatives. When this prior is relaxed trend-stationarity is generally supported, thus the unit root inference seems inappropriate for these series: despite Nelson and Plosser's results indicating that macroeconomic time series are not inconsistent with the random walk hypothesis, our results indicate that for most series the trend-stationarity hypothesis is much more likely.
Effects of interphases on the transverse stress-strain behavior in unidirectional fiber reinforced metal matrix composites

Abstract In the context of continuum mechanics, the interfaces between the fiber and matrix are often assumed to be perfect. However, in many fiber reinforced composites, the bond between the fibers and the matrix material is not of the perfect kind that can be modeled by a continuity of traction and displacements across the fiber-matrix interface. Instead, the bond is affected across a thin interfacial zone, an interphase, which has distinct properties from the fiber and matrix. In this paper, a framework has been established to characterize the effects of distinct interphases in the study of fiber reinforced composites. On the basis of this framework, a rigorous analysis has been carried out for the transverse normal loading of a unidirectional fiber reinforced composite. It is assumed that such an interphase is created deliberately by coating the fibers with a third phase material. By the use of the finite element method, a numerical analysis for a basic cell provides results for the micromechanical fields of stresses and the macromechanical properties of the composite, with and without partial interphase failure. In addition, an analytical estimation scheme to predict the transverse effective stress-strain relation is developed by using a modified Mori-Tanaka method. Satisfactory agreement between the analytical estimates and the numerical solutions is found.
Os odontoideum in identical twins: perspectives on etiology

Most authorities favor the hypothesis of an acquired etiology of os odontoideum. We present the cases of identical twin sisters with os odontoideum in association with a congenital partial fusion of the posterior elements of the second and third cervical vertebrae, and discuss the implications. We believe that this is the first report of familial os odontoideum in a context which suggests a genetic etiology.
Living Radical Polymerization of Bicyclic Dienes: Synthesis of Thermally Cross-Linkable Block Copolymers

A new thermal cross-linking strategy based on retro-Diels−Alder reaction of bicyclic diene polymers was developed. 2,3-Dimethylenenorbornane (1) and its derivatives polymerized under free-radical conditions predominantly via the 1,4-addition mode. Monomer 1 had a much higher reactivity toward propagating polymer radicals than isoprene despite having larger substituents, which was attributed to the rigid s-cis coplanar conformation of the diene group in 1. Nitroxide-mediated polymerization at 110 °C provided bicyclic diene polymers with controlled molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions, as well as block copolymers of 1 and methyl acrylate. Poly(1) underwent retro-Diels−Alder reaction with a concurrent release of ethylene upon heating at 245 °C, which ultimately led to the formation of cross-linked structures. Block copolymers of 1 and methyl acrylate phase-separated into lamellae and cylindrical microstructures when annealed at 180 °C. Upon further heating to 245 °C, the poly(1) domain...
Toward understanding family readjustment following older child adoptions: The interplay between theory generation and empirical research☆

Abstract Despite developments in research on older child adoptions during the last fifteen years, many gaps still remain. Among these gaps is a focus on understanding the process of readjustment following older child adoptions. Understanding this process is best facilitated by theory generation as well as empirical inquiry. This paper describes the developmental process of a research program that integrates theory generation and empirical inquiry in an attempt to generate an understanding of the process of postplacement readjustment. The formulation of a theoretical model that posits four developmental and normative phases that evolve across the individual, dyadic, and family levels and that features five domains of functioning (cognitions, resources, stressors, coping, relationship formation) serves as the foundation for a short term longitudinal study currently underway. Preliminary findings from the longitudinal research are presented in the form of a case study. Issues and implications for future theorizing and research also are discussed.
Design and fabrication of optoelectronic multichip module prototypes using MEMS fabrication techniques

This paper describes the design, fabrication, and assembly issues of OE-MSMs using MEMS fabrication techniques by characterizing some of the basic building blocks like micromachined silicon mirrors, GaAs MSM photodiodes. Issues of aligning and bonding discrete components discrete components on OE-MCMs are addressed along with the proposed fabrication and packaging strategies. The CMOS compatible TMAH processes are investigated with results comparable to those obtained from KOH processes. After sputtered aluminum layers are applied, the micromachined silicon mirror reflectivities are further improved with some samples showing reflectivities above 95 percent at wavelengths of 1300 nm and 1500 nm. The results from silicon mirror beam profiling and the minor impacts of packaging processes to silicon mirror I/O coupling efficiencies indicate that the mass fabrication of OE-MCM is technically and economically feasible.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Sensitization and conditioning of feeding following multiple morphine microinjections into the nucleus accumbens.

Abstract The effects of repeated morphine infusions (10 μg/0.5 μl) into the nucleus accumbens on feeding were studied in sated rats. As shown previously, intra-accumbens morphine infusions induced a large increase in food intake. After undergoing repeated morphine treatment, animals consumed significant quantities of food in response to a saline or sham injection, compared to their pre-morphine baseline. This conditioned feeding was present up to 18 days after the final drug infusion. Additionally, repeated morphine administration caused a progressive sensitization of feeding; the final morphine infusion elicited nearly double the amount of food intake as the first. Multiple saline infusions had no behavioral effects. Repeated stimulation of opiate receptors may enhance associative mechanisms such that previously neutral environmental stimuli acquire the ability to elicit feeding. Abnormal activation of this system may be a possible neural substrate for compulsive feeding and bulimia.
Differences in Refuge use are Related to Predation Risk in Estuarine Crabs

ABSTRACT We determined the dominance hierarchy in competition for refuges by the xanthid crabs Panopeus simpsoni, Eurypanopeus depressus, Rhithropanopeus harrisii, and juvenile Callinectes sapidus, and used it to predict predation risk from adult blue crabs in laboratory experiments at two salinities. Experiments were first run with pairwise combinations of species with limited refuges. To determine any effects of diffuse competition on dominance and predation risk, all four species were then held together with limited refuges. The same process was then repeated in experiments with a blue crab predator, again with limited refuges. Juvenile C. sapidus and E. depressus were dominant over P. simpsoni and R. harrisii in occupying shelters at both salinities, in both paired- and multiple-species combinations. Dominance in refuge use increased with salinity in C. sapidus, E. depressus, and P. simpsoni, but not in R. harrisii. Because they were more dominant, C. sapidus and E. depressus sustained lower mortality...
Spectinabilin, a new nitro-containing metabolite isolated from streptomyces spectabilis

Abstract A new nitro-containing metabolite, spectinabilin, was isolated from the crude streptovaricin complex produced by Streptomyces spectabilis . The structure was determined by degradation studies and spectral properties. A possible biosynthetic pathway of the metabolite is discussed in relation to the biosynthesis of the streptovaricins.
Elastic-plastic behavior of fibrous composites

Abstract T he elastic-plastic behavior of fibrous composites is explored with self-consistent models. The overall and local yield surfaces, instantaneous moduli, thermal coefficients, plastic strains and thermal microstresses are calculated for selected material systems, using R. Hill's (1965) model, and a modified scheme. Axisymmetric mechanical loads and uniform thermal changes are considered and the extension to shear loads is discussed. A limited comparison of the calculated microstresses is made with available experimental results.
P2 pyridine N-oxide thrombin inhibitors: a novel peptidomimetic scaffold.

Abstract In this study, we have demonstrated that the critical hydrogen bonding motif of the established 3-aminopyrazinone thrombin inhibitors can be effectively mimicked by a 2-aminopyridine N-oxide. As this peptidomimetic core is more resistant toward oxidative metabolism, it also overcomes the metabolic liability associated with the pyrazinones. An optimization study of the P1 benzylamide delivered the potent thrombin inhibitor 21 (Ki = 3.2 nM, 2xaPTT = 360 nM), which exhibited good plasma levels and half-life after oral dosing in the dog (Cmax = 2.6 μM, t1/2 = 4.5 h).
SU-FF-T-09: A Comparison of MatriXX, MapCHECK and Film for IMRT QA: Limitations of 2D Electronic Systems

Purpose: Evaluation and comparison of 2D electronic systems versus film/ion chamber based dosimetry for IMRT QA using MapCHECK and MatriXX. Method and Materials: All IMRT plans were generated with Eclipse/Helios 7.3.10 treatment planning software (Varian). Treatments were delivered on a Varian 21EX linear accelerator (6MV) with 120 leaf Millenium MLC for delivery of sliding window IMRT. The film measurements were first compared to the Eclipse dose plane. Secondly, the electronic measurements were compared to the Eclipse dose plane. Thirdly, the film measurements were compared to the electronic measurements. The film, Eclipse dose plane and MatriXX (Scanditronix) were analyzed using the OmniPro IMRT software (Scanditronix). The film, Eclipse dose plane and MapCHECK (SunNuclear) were analyzed using the MapCHECK software. Analysis was based on distance to agreement (DTA), Gamma, profile comparisons, measured dose (relative/absolute) and visual comparison. Results: Film and ion chamber comparisons were in good agreement as well as comparisons between electronic and ion chamber measurements. However, in some instances, electronic system measurements did not agree with film due to MLC leaf failure. Advantages and disadvantages of MatriXX and MapCheck for IMRT QA as well as specific MLC leaf failure instances will be discussed further. Conclusion: With many clinics implementing electronic IMRT QA devices, a careful understanding of the limitations of the MLC system and the electronic IMRT QA device is needed. We are investigating the resolution capabilities of each QA system. The MLC failure was caught before treatment began. A major disadvantage in implementing 2D electronic systems for IMRT QA is the limited resolution, resulting in limited sensitivity to MLC failures. Primary advantages of 2D electronic systems include: 1) time, 2) efficiency, 3) ease of use, and 4) overall simplification of IMRT QA.
Pressure Fluctuations Beneath Turbulent Spots and Instability Wave Packets in a Hypersonic Boundary Layer

The development of turbulent spots in a hypersonic boundary layer was studied on the nozzle wall of the Boeing/AFOSR Mach-6 Quiet Tunnel. Under quiet flow conditions, the nozzle wall boundary layer remains laminar and grows very thick over the long nozzle length. This allows the development of large turbulent spots that can be readily measured with pressure transducers. Measurements of naturally occurring wave packets and developing turbulent spots were made. The peak frequencies of these natural wave packets were in agreement with second-mode computations. For a controlled study, the breakdown of disturbances created by spark and glow perturbations were studied at similar freestream conditions. The spark perturbations were the most effective at creating large wave packets that broke down into turbulent spots. The flow disturbances created by the controlled perturbations were analyzed to obtain amplitude criteria for nonlinearity and breakdown as well as the convection velocities of the turbulent spots. Disturbances first grew into linear instability waves and then quickly became nonlinear. Throughout the nonlinear growth of the wave packets, large harmonics are visible in the power spectra. As breakdown begins, the peak amplitudes of the instability waves and harmonics decrease into the rising broad-band frequencies. Instability waves are stillmore » visible on either side of the growing turbulent spots during this breakdown process.« less
Dynamic Thread Scheduling in Asymmetric Multicores to Maximize Performance-per-Watt

Recent trends in technology scaling have enabled the incorporation of multiple processor cores on a single die. Depending on the characteristics of the cores, the multicore may be either symmetric (SMP) or asymmetric (AMP). Several studies have shown that in general, for a given resource and power budget, AMPs are likely to outperform their SMP counterparts. However, due to the heterogeneity in AMPs, scheduling threads is always a challenge. To address the issue of thread scheduling in AMP, we propose a novel dynamic thread scheduling scheme that continuously monitors the current characteristics of the executing threads and determines the best thread to core assignment. The real-time monitoring is done using hardware performance counters that capture several micro architecture independent characteristics of the threads in order to determine the thread to core affinity. By controlling thread scheduling in hardware, the Operating System (OS) need not be aware of the underlying micro architecture, significantly simplifying the OS scheduler for an AMP architecture. The proposed scheme is compared against a simple Round Robin scheduling and a recently published dynamic thread scheduling technique that allows swapping of threads (between asymmetric cores) at coarse grain time intervals, once every context switch ( 20 ms for the Linux scheduler). The presented results indicate that our proposed scheme is able to achieve, on average, a performance/watt benefit of 10.5% over the previously published dynamic scheduling scheme and about 12.9% over the Round Robin scheme.
Family income trajectory during childhood is associated with adolescent cigarette smoking and alcohol use

Background Although childhood socioeconomic disadvantage has been linked with adolescent tobacco and alcohol use in cross-sectional research, less is known about the influence of changes in socioeconomic status during childhood. Upward socioeconomic mobility may attenuate the negative influence of earlier socioeconomic disadvantage on health, while downward mobility may counter the health benefits of earlier socioeconomic advantage. This study evaluated the influence of common trajectories of family income during childhood on smoking and alcohol use during adolescence.
Crystal structure effect of ferromagnetic electrode on tunneling magnetoresistance

Abstract We show experimentally the effect of the crystal structure of a ferromagnetic (FM) electrode on tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) by changing only the crystal structure of the bottom FM electrode in a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) and observing a significant TMR difference. Co 87 Fe 13 was selected as the bottom FM electrode because the difference in stability between its face-centered cubic (fcc) and body-centered cubic (bcc) structures is very small. This enables us to compare the TMR of MTJs comprising ferromagnetic layers at the same composition but with different crystal structures. We find a significant increase in the TMR when changing from an fcc-Co 87 Fe 13 to bcc-Co 87 Fe 13 bottom FM electrode. The structurally induced TMR enhancement is attributed to a higher s-electron spin polarization for the bcc structure, which was confirmed for bulk Co and Co 87.5 Fe 12.5 by ab initio calculations. These results unambiguously demonstrate the role of crystal structure and the associated electronic structure of FM electrodes in spin-dependent tunneling.
Comparative behavioral effects of several anticholinergic agents in rats.

The behavioral effects of JB 329 (Ditran) were compared with those of several anticholinergic agents in rats.
The sulphydryl content of beta-lactoglobulin.

The reaction of sulphydryl groups of β-lactoglobulin with N-ethylmaleimide, p-chloromercuribenzoate, and iodoacetic acid has been studied. Using N-ethylmaleimide with native and sodium dodecyl sulphate denatured protein, a value of 2.3 groups of sulphydryl per mole of protein was obtained. A value of 2.15 moles of sulphydryl per mole of protein was obtained from reaction with p-chloromercuribenzoate but lower values were obtained after urea denaturation. The reaction of iodoacetic acid was followed by the determination of residual sulphydryl by the p-chloromercuribenzoate method.
A clinical comparison of LTI carbon, alumina, and carbon-coated alumina blade-type implants in baboons

The clinical performance of LTI carbon, carbon-coated aluminum oxide, and uncoated aluminum oxide blade-type dental implants was studied in baboons. The objective of the study was to determine the effect that implant material elastic modulus and surface composition have on implant performance. Clinical parameters of mobility, sulcus depth, soft tissue characteristics, and radiographic appearance were used in the evaluation. The implants were placed in healed extraction sites in adult female baboons and were used as a distal abutment for a three-unit fixed gold prosthesis. The restorations were allowed to assume normal occlusal function and were left in situ for a period of two years. The radiographic and sulcus depth measurements appeared inferior for the LTI carbon implants and best for the carbon-coated aluminum oxide implants. No differences in mobility or soft tissue characteristics were noted for the three implant systems. Two implants both in the same animal--one LTI carbon and one uncoated aluminum oxide--were definite clinical failures. The results of the study indicate that an elastic modulus mismatch between implant and bone is not an a priori cause of implant failure and that the implant surface composition had little apparent effect on the clinical and radiographic performance of these implant materials.
Digital Media Innovation and the Apple iPad: Three Perspectives on the Future of Computer Tablets and News Delivery

AbstractToday, the combination of news information on the Internet coupled with the ease and access of posting news information and blog commentary has fundamentally challenged the economic business model for newspaper and magazine production on a worldwide basis. This paper will look at the state of the newspaper industry and will consider the role of the Internet (and digital media) as both a major cause of the problems now faced by today’s newspaper industry as well as its potential solution. Special attention is given to the design and development of the Apple iPad. A major argument of this paper is that computer tablets like the Apple iPad present a unique and historic opportunity to reconsider the meaning and purpose of news delivery. This juncture represents what former Intel CEO. Andy Grove refers to as a strategic inflection point; a time when a triggering event in the competitive marketplace requires new solutions or face the prospect of business extinction.
In vivo and in Vitro Replication Consequences of Stereoisomeric Benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol 9,10-Epoxide Adducts on Adenine N6 at the Second Position of N-ras Codon 61

Benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol 9,10-epoxide (BPDE), a metabolite of the widespread environmental pollutant benzo[a]pyrene, is mutagenic in both bacterial and mammalian systems. Toward understanding the mutagenic effects of different stereoisomers of BPDE at specific sites in DNA, six stereochemically defined BPDE adducts were constructed on adenine N6 at position 2 of the human N-ras 61 codon within an 11-base oligonucleotide fragment. Both the nonadducted and BPDE-adducted N-ras 61 11-mers were inserted into a unique EcoRI site in single-stranded M13mp7L2 DNA and utilized for in vivo studies. The ligation efficiencies of BPDE-adducted 11-mers into the single-stranded vector were determined by Southern hybridization and confirmed by electron microscopy. Repair-deficient AB2480 E. coli cells were transformed with adducted and nonadducted DNA samples. The resultant plaque-forming abilities were used to evaluate the replication competence of the various BPDE adducts with respect to the nonadducted 11-mer. Point mutations due to aberrant replication at the adducted site were identified by the technique of differential DNA hybridization. All of the six BPDE adducts examined were mutagenic in vivo, generating exclusively A→G mutations at frequencies ranging from 0.26 to 1.20%. In vitro replication studies using these BPDE-adducted 11-mers involved primer extension assays with Klenow fragment. All of the BPDE-modified templates demonstrated distinct blockage at the adducted site and/or 1 base 3′ to the adducted site, allowing essentially no translesion synthesis to form fully extended polymerization products in vitro.
Transmembrane segment 12 of the Glut1 glucose transporter is an outer helix and is not directly involved in the transport mechanism

A model has been proposed for the exofacial configuration of the Glut1 glucose transporter in which eight transmembrane domains form an inner helical bundle stabilized by four outer helices. The role of transmembrane segment 12, predicted to be an outer helix in this hypothetical model, was examined by cysteine-scanning mutagenesis and the substituted cysteine accessibility method using the membrane-impermeant, sulfhydryl-specific reagent, p-chloromercuribenzenesulfonate (pCMBS). A previously characterized functional cysteine-less Glut1 molecule was used to produce 21 Glut1 point mutants by changing each residue along helix 12 to a cysteine residue. These mutants were then expressed in Xenopus oocytes, and their protein levels, functional activities, and sensitivities to pCMBS were determined. Strikingly, in contrast to all nine other predicted Glut1 transmembrane helices that have been previously examined by this method, none of the 21 helix 12 single-cysteine mutants exhibited significant inhibition of specific transport activity. Also unlike most other Glut1 transmembrane domains in which solvent-accessible residues lie along a single face of the helix, mutations in five consecutive residues predicted to lie close to the exofacial face of the membrane resulted in sensitivity to pCMBS-induced transport inhibition. These results suggest that helix 12 plays a passive stabilizing role in the structure of Glut1 and is not directly involved in the transport mechanism. Additionally, the pCMBS data indicate that the predicted exoplasmic end of helix 12 is completely exposed to the external solvent when the transporter is in its exofacial configuration.
The Yale Law Journal Online: Liquid Assets: Groundwater in Texas

The Yale Law Journal Online has just published Liquid Assets: Groundwater in Texas, an essay by Gerald Torres that addresses the piecemeal management of groundwater resources in the American West. A recent Texas Supreme Court case, Edwards Aquifer Authority v. Day, 369 S.W.3d 814 (Tex. 2012), has significantly transformed the groundwater regime in Texas, and its changes are expected to inform discussion throughout the region, where water is scarce and valuable. Torres argues that Day has “sown confusion about the capacity of the state to regulate natural resources, while ignoring the science that ought to drive policy decisions.” He begins his critique with an analysis of the Texas groundwater-management regulatory system that existed prior to Day. He then examines the concept of ownership rights for groundwater in place. Finally, in light of Day, he considers alternative approaches to allocating the value and utility of groundwater.
Daily Participation in Sports and Students' Sexual Activity

CONTEXT: Previous studies suggest that student athletes may be less likely than nonathletes to engage in sexual behavior. However few have explored sexual risk behavior among athletes in early adolescence. METHODS: In 2005 a sample of 10487 students in 26 Los Angeles public middle and high schools completed a self-administered survey that asked about their demographic characteristics sports participation sexual behaviors and expectations and parental relationships. Chi-square analyses compared reported levels of daily participation in sports experience with intercourse experience with oral sex and condom use at last intercourse by selected characteristics. Predictors of sexual experience and condom use were assessed in multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: One-third of students reported daily participation in sports. This group had higher odds of ever having had intercourse and ever having had oral sex than their peers who did not play a sport daily (odds ratios 1.2 and 1.1 respectively). The increases in risk were greater for middle school sports participants than for their high school counterparts (1.5 and 1.6 respectively). Among sexually experienced students daily sports participants also had elevated odds of reporting condom use at last intercourse (1.4). CONCLUSIONS: Students as young as middle school age who participate in sports daily may have an elevated risk for STDs and pregnancy. Health professionals should counsel middle school athletes about sexual risk reduction given that young students may find it particularly difficult to obtain contraceptives STD testing and prevention counseling. Copyright (c) 2010 by the Guttmacher Institute.
Convergence Analysis for Sequential Monte Carlo Receivers in Communications Applications

Recently, sequential Monte Carlo methods have been used in the telecommunications field, finding application in receiver design. Several properties of these receivers make their designs very attractive. These receivers do not require channel state information or training. Therefore, they are bandwidth efficient and no communication bandwidth needs to be wasted on training. The receivers are optimal in the sense that they achieve a minimum symbol error rate regardless of the noise distribution, nonlinearities in the system, or distribution of the transmitted symbol. Moreover, these receivers are capable of producing soft-information outputs, which enables the designer to utilize iterative receiver architectures for near-optimal performance. In this work we investigate the convergence properties of these algorithms when utilized in various types of receivers. We quantify the convergence rate. We describe how various parameters (e.g., noise power, channel fading rate, etc) and factors (e.g., state-space model mismatch) affect the convergence rate and point out the factors that should be improved first to gain speed and accuracy in the convergence.
Minireview: Characterization of Influence of Central Nociceptin/Orphanin FQ on Consummatory Behavior

Nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ), a peptide closely related to dynorphin A, is the endogenous agonist of the NOP receptor that moderately increases food intake under various conditions. Its orexigenic properties are mediated by the brain circuitry. In the present review, we focus on discussing the nature of hyperphagic effects of N/OFQ with special emphasis on its function within feeding-related neural networks. Although some of N/OFQ’s orexigenic effects resemble those induced by opioids, reward-dependent feeding appears to be affected in a different manner by agonists of the NOP and classical opioid receptors. Also, data suggest that N/OFQ may not only promote feeding initiation, but rather its role may be to inhibit signaling responsible for inhibition of consummatory behavior. Central systems involved in termination of feeding that seem to be influenced by N/OFQ encompass oxytocin, α-MSH, and CRH.
Heat Capacity Changes Associated with DNA Duplex Formation: Salt- and Sequence-Dependent Effects†

Duplexes are the most fundamental elements of nucleic acid folding. Although it has become increasingly clear that duplex formation can be associated with a significant change in heat capacity (ΔCp), this parameter is typically overlooked in thermodynamic studies of nucleic acid folding. Analogy to protein folding suggests that base stacking events coupled to duplex formation should give rise to a ΔCp due to the release of waters solvating aromatic surfaces of nucleotide bases. In previous work, we showed that the ΔCp observed by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) for RNA duplex formation depended on salt and sequence [Takach, J. C., Mikulecky, P. J., and Feig, A. L. (2004) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 126, 6530−6531]. In the present work, we apply calorimetric and spectroscopic techniques to a series of designed DNA duplexes to demonstrate that both the salt dependence and sequence dependence of ΔCps observed by ITC reflect perturbations to the same fundamental phenomenon: stacking in the single-stranded state...
Distributed optimal contention window control for elastic traffic in wireless LANs

This paper presents a theoretical study on distributed contention window control algorithms for achieving arbitrary bandwidth allocation policies and efficient channel utilization. By modeling different bandwidth allocation policies as an optimal contention window assignment problem, we design a general and fully distributed contention window control algorithm, called GCA (general contention window adaptation), and prove that it converges to the solution of the contention window assignment problem. By examining the stability of GCA, we identify the optimal stable point that maximizes channel utilization and provide solutions to control the stable point of GCA near the optimal point. Due to the generality of GCA, our work provides a theoretical foundation to analyze existing and design new contention window control algorithms.
Variability and the Dopamine Hypothesis of Schizophrenia

The dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia is usually presented in a static, rather than dynamic fashion. We propose that increased dopaminerglc activity may represent a stage of a dynamic schizophrenic process rather than its cause. Dopamine, as well as other neurotransmitters, responds in an adaptive fashion to stimuli that perturb the homeostasis of the brain. One such stimulus could be an epileptic focus in the temporal lobe. Other such stimuli undoubtedly also exist. The clinical course of schizophrenia is highly variable. The onset of symptoms may be sudden, or slow and insidious. Spontaneous partial and temporary remissions are common, and in some cases complete and permanent remissions can occur (Ciompi 1980). Biological parameters such as body weight, response to neuroleptic medication, and hormonal activity can also vary spontaneously in the course of the disease (van der Velde 1976). Despite evidence of clinical and biological variability, some hypotheses concerning the neurochemical etiology of schizophrenia , such as the dopamine hypothesis, have proposed a single persistent abnormality. The dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia postulates an overactivity of dopamine in the mesolimbic system of the brain. Support for this hypothesis has been proposed by
Effectiveness of PowerPoint presentations in lectures

We investigated whether students liked and learned more from PowerPoint presentations than from overhead transparencies. Students were exposed to lectures supported by transparencies and two different types of PowerPoint presentations. At the end of the semester, students preferred PowerPoint presentations but this preference was not found on ratings taken immediately after the lectures. Students performed worse on quizzes when PowerPoint presentations included non-text items such as pictures and sound effects. A second study further examined these findings. In this study participants were shown PowerPoint slides that contained only text, contained text and a relevant picture, and contained text with a picture that was not relevant. Students performed worse on recall and recognition tasks and had greater dislike for slides with pictures that were not relevant. We conclude that PowerPoint can be beneficial, but material that is not pertinent to the presentation can be harmful to students' learning.
Voltage-gated proton channels : what's next?

This review is an attempt to identify and place in context some of the many questions about voltage-gated proton channels that remain unsolved. As the gene was identified only 2 years ago, the situation is very different than in fields where the gene has been known for decades. For the proton channel, most of the obvious and less obvious structure–function questions are still wide open. Remarkably, the proton channel protein strongly resembles the voltage-sensing domain of many voltage-gated ion channels, and thus offers a novel approach to study gating mechanisms. Another surprise is that the proton channel appears to function as a dimer, with two separate conduction pathways. A number of significant biological questions remain in dispute, unanswered, or in some cases, not yet asked. This latter deficit is ascribable to the intrinsic difficulty in evaluating the importance of one component in a complex system, and in addition, to the lack, until recently, of a means of performing an unambiguous lesion experiment, that is, of selectively eliminating the molecule in question. We still lack a potent, selective pharmacological inhibitor, but the identification of the gene has allowed the development of powerful new tools including proton channel antibodies, siRNA and knockout mice.
Interferon‐α is a Potent Inhibitor of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor‐Stimulated Cell Proliferation in Human Uterine Cells

PROBLEM: Abnormal uterine bleeding is a significant health problem for many women and is the number-one reason for performing hysterectomy in the United States. Leiomyomas (uterine fibroids) are benign neoplams that are a frequent cause of abnormal uterine bleeding. The goal of this study was to assess the effects of the anti-angiogenic cytokine, interferon (INF)-α, on the proliferation of both leiomyoma and normal uterine cells. METHOD OF STUDY: Primary cultures of leiomyoma, myometrial, and endometrial stromal cells were established for in vitro study. The effects of INF-α (10, 100, and 1000 U/ml) were tested on serum-stimulated and basic fibroblast growth factor-stimulated cell proliferation using the [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation assay. RESULTS: INF-α was a potent inhibitor of cell proliferation for all three cell types, with endometrial stromal cells showing the greatest sensitivity. The antiproliferative effect did not appear to result from toxic effects on the cells. CONCLUSION: INFs may prove to be useful therapeutic agents for the treatment of leiomyoma-related abnormal uterine bleeding.
Estrogen and/or Calcium Plus Vitamin D Increase Mandibular Bone Mass

Background: We have previously reported that estrogen/ hormone replacement therapy (E/HRT) has beneficial effects on oral bone density over 3 years and that calcium and vitamin D supplementation has a lesser effect. Here we report on mandibular bone mass for 49 women (of the original cohort of 135) who continued in an additional 2-year, open-label extension. Methods: Postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to receive calcium and vitamin D plus E/HRT, or calcium and vitamin D only. Regression analysis of mandibular bone mass over time was performed for each woman. Results: Twenty-two of 26 women who took calcium and vitamin D plus E/HRT for 5 years had small mandibular bone mass increases (0.35 ± 0.38%, P <0.001). Seventeen of 19 women who took only calcium and vitamin D for 3 years had increases in mandibular bone mass (0.74 ± 0.89%, P <0.002). The largest gains in mandibular bone mass occurred during the first 3 years of the study. Conclusions: The data of this study indicate that E/HRT and/or calciu...
The Yale Aerial Manipulator: Grasping in flight

This video demonstrates a helicopter Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) research platform for grasping objects while in flight. Typically, helicopters avoid interacting with objects in their surroundings due to the unstable flight dynamics of rotorcraft and coupled mechanics encountered during contact. We introduce the Yale Aerial Manipulator and demonstrate stable grasping of a range of objects both when landed and while hovering. We discuss the platform's underactuated gripper and its contribution to aircraft stability while grasping.
A broadband folded monopole antenna for the handheld device

A novel internal monopole antenna design is presented in this paper that is intended for the handheld device. The proposed design covers GSM 800/900/1800/1900, GPS 1500, UMTS 2100, and Bluetooth 2400 bands. A broadband performance is obtained at all the frequencies of interest. The design is examined and optimized by measurements and simulations using a MoM-based solver. The results show excellent antenna performance.
Pex18p Is Constitutively Degraded during Peroxisome Biogenesis

Abstract Pex18p and Pex21p are structurally related yeast peroxins (proteins required for peroxisome biogenesis) that are partially redundant in function. One or the other is essential for the import into peroxisomes of proteins with type 2 peroxisomal targeting sequences (PTS2). These sequences bind to the soluble PTS2 receptor, Pex7p, which in turn binds to Pex18p (or Pex21p or possibly both). Here we show that Pex18p is constitutively degraded with a half-time of less than 10 min in wild-type Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This degradation probably occurs in proteasomes, because it requires the related ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes Ubc4p and Ubc5p and occurs normally in a mutant lacking the Pep4p vacuolar protease. The turnover of Pex18p stops, and Pex18p accumulates to a much higher than normal abundance in pex mutants in which the import of all peroxisomal matrix proteins is blocked. This includes mutants that lack peroxins involved in receptor docking at the membrane (Δpex13 or Δpex14), a mutant that lacks the peroxisomal member of the E2 family of ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (Δpex4), and others (Δpex1). This stabilization in a variety of pex mutants indicates that Pex18p turnover is associated with its normal function. A Pex18p-Pex7p complex is detected by immunoprecipitation in wild type cells, and its abundance increases considerably in the Δpex14 peroxisome biogenesis mutant. Cells that lack Pex7p fail to stabilize and accumulate Pex18p, indicating an important role for complex formation in the stabilization. Mono- and diubiquitinated forms of Pex18p are detected in wild-type cells, and there is no Pex18p turnover in a yeastdoa4 mutant in which ubiquitin homeostasis is defective. These data represent, to the best of our knowledge, the first instance of an organelle biogenesis factor that is degraded constitutively and rapidly.
Juvenile freshwater mussel (bivalvia: unionidae) responses to acute toxicity testing with copper

The sensitivities of newly metamorphosed juveniles of Villosa iris and Anodonta grandis to copper were determined using 24-h static bioassays. Two methods of assessing postexposure response were compared: direct visual examination and the use of vital staining with neutral red. Both species responded to copper exposures, exhibiting valve closure at concentrations as low as 24 μg Cu per liter for Villosa iris and 17 μg Cu per liter for Anodonta grandis. EC50 values of 27 μg Cu per liter (Villosa iris) and 33 μg Cu per liter (Anodonta grandis) were calculated on the basis of the valve closure response. Use of vital staining with neutral red provided an EC50 of 29 μg Cu per liter for Villosa iris. The amber coloration of Anodonta grandis valves prevented determination of an EC50 using the vital staining. LC50 values of 83 μg Cu per liter (Villosa iris) and 44 μg Cu per liter (Anodonta grandis) were calculated from the results of vital staining. Neutral red was found to be effective in assessing postexposure mortality and sublethal responses after acute exposures to copper.
Geophysical constraints on the deep structure of the Cheyenne belt, southeastern Wyoming

The Cheyenne belt (CB), a Precambrian suture separating the Archean Wyoming province from Proterozoic island-arc rocks to the south, is marked at the surface by a mylonite zone up to 7 km thick in the Sierra Madre and Medicine Bow Mountains. Geophysical data used to determine deep structure of the CB and surrounding crust include old crustal-refraction profiles, crustal-reflection profiles, several wide-angle seismic profiles, and Bouguer gravity anomalies. Laramide frontal faults that dip 30° to 45° westward to depths of 15 to 20 km offset Precambrian structures in seismic-reflection profiles. As determined from refraction profiles, crustal thickness changes from about 38 km in the northern Laramie Mountains to over 50 km in central Colorado, and Bouguer gravity anomalies show a corresponding decrease. The CB is imaged with moderate apparent dips on three seismic-reflection sections; true dip is about 60° southeast, and maximum depth in seismic sections is 9 to 14 km. Bouguer gravity anomalies are marked by a decrease to the south and an increased gradient across the CB. This is interpreted as a ramp in the Moho near the CB and a gently thickening crust southward toward Colorado. If so, this Moho ramp near the CB probably has persisted since Proterozoic suturing. Long-wavelength, Laramide crustal thickening and an overprinted, late-Laramide, crustal-upper mantle thermal event is evident in Colorado.