cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Arresting a Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) Channel: β-ARRESTIN 1 MEDIATES UBIQUITINATION AND FUNCTIONAL DOWN-REGULATION OF TRPV4 *♦

β-Arrestins, originally discovered to desensitize activated G protein-coupled receptors, (aka seven-transmembrane receptors, 7TMRs) also mediate 7TMR internalization and G protein-independent signaling via these receptors. More recently, several regulatory roles of β-arrestins for atypical 7TMRs and non-7TM receptors have emerged. Here, we uncover an entirely novel regulatory role of β-arrestins in cross-talk between the angiotensin receptor (AT1aR) and a member of the transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channel family, TRPV4. AT1aR and TRPV4 form a constitutive complex in the plasma membrane, and angiotensin stimulation leads to recruitment of β-arrestin 1 to this complex. Surprisingly, angiotensin stimulation results in ubiquitination of TRPV4, a process that requires β-arrestin 1, and subsequently to internalization and functional down-regulation of TRPV4. β-Arrestin 1 interacts with, and acts as an adaptor for AIP4, an E3 ubiquitin ligase responsible for TRPV4 ubiquitination. Thus, our data provide the first evidence of a functional link between β-arrestins and TRPV4 and uncovers an entirely novel mechanism to maintain appropriate intracellular Ca2+ concentration to avoid excessive Ca2+ signaling.
Excitonic imaging spectroscopy of single-walled carbon nanotubes

We show how photoluminescence (PL) imaging can be used to gain fundamental spectroscopic information on the optical excitations in single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). Individual SWNTs are identified, and emission and excitation (PLE) spectra are obtained. In addition to the dominant E l i and Ej 2 transitions, we observe several resonances including the transverse Ej 2 exciton, and up to three excited excitonic bands. The (n,m) family dependence is obtained for some 25 species in the 1.1 to 1.6 pm emission range. We provide simple power series expansion to facilitate (n,in) assignment of all these peaks. This paper complements recently published work.
Confidence Bands for the Minimum Fatigue Life

A simple polynomial representation of minimum fatigue life as a function of stress is presented. Three practical methods of confidence band construction for the minimum fatigue life are then deduced. As is the usual practice in fatigue testing, K (> 1) levels of stress are assumed to be employed with n j , j = 1, …, K, specimens tested at each of the K levels of stress. The underlying distribution of stress cycles to failure at each level is assumed to be a Weibull distribution. One of the methods of confidence band construction is appropriate if the K scale parameters, θ j , are known. A second method is recommended if the θ j are unknown, but equal. The third method is employed if the θ j are unknown and not necessarily equal. A number of examples, with an appropriate confidence band, are given for a well-known data set and for a reasonable range of values of the common, known shape parameter, δ. A new probability paper is also introduced to assist the experimenter in evaluating his data. Some evidence ...
Effects of prenatal diesel exhaust inhalation on pulmonary inflammation and development of specific immune responses

There is increasing evidence that exposure to air pollutants during pregnancy can result in a number of deleterious effects including low birth weight and the incidence of allergic asthma. To investigate the in utero effects of DE exposure, timed pregnant BALB/c mice were exposed to 0, 0.8 or 3.1 mg/m(3) of DE during gestation days (GD) 9 to GD 18. The number of successful pregnancies was 15/20 in the air controls and 10/20 in each of the diesel exposures. Immune function in the 6-week-old offspring as determined by development of delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions to bovine serum albumin (BSA), antibody titers to injected sheep red blood cells (SRBC), splenic T cells expressing CD45(+)CD3(+)CD8(+) and CD3(+)CD25(+), and mRNA expression of TNF-alpha, TLR2, SP-A, TGF-beta and Foxp3 in the lung were not affected by prenatal DE exposure. On the other hand, lung TLR4 mRNA expression, the number of neutrophils in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and splenic T cells expressing CD45(+)CD3(+)CD4(+) and CD4(+)CD25(+) were differentially affected depending on the DE concentration and gender. When additional groups of mice were sensitized and challenged via the respiratory tract with ovalbumin to induce allergic airway inflammation, female mice had higher protein levels in the BALF compared to males and this was reduced by prenatal exposure to either concentration of DE. No other changes in allergen-induced immunity, lung function or severity of inflammation were noted. Collectively, the results show that in utero exposure to DE altered some baseline inflammatory indices in the lung in a gender-specific manner, but had no effect on development of specific immune responses to experimental antigens, or the severity of allergic lung inflammation.
Factors affecting the delivery of adjuvant/neoadjuvant chemotherapy in older women with breast cancer

Abstract Background Recent studies suggest that older women derive similar benefits from adjuvant systemic chemotherapy (AST) as younger women. In older women, the ability to successfully complete chemotherapy may be complicated by other health conditions and performance status. We examined factors affecting the delivery of chemotherapy to older patients with breast cancer. Methods Women age ≥ 65 treated with adjuvant/neoadjuvant chemotherapy at Roswell Park Cancer Institute were identified from the RPCI database from 7/1997 to 4/2010. Endpoints were delay, hospitalization, dose reduction, relative dose intensity (RDI) Results 204 older women received AST. Median follow-up was 50.2 months. Seventy percent received anthracycline-based AST. In multivariate analysis, older age was a predictor for early termination of chemotherapy and RDI Conclusion Successful administration of planned chemotherapy to older women with breast cancer was associated with improved OS. However, delivery of chemotherapy was associated with increased toxicity and reduced tolerance. Models allowing physicians to better risk-stratify older patients with breast cancer are needed and under development.
Positron emission tomography radiochemistry

Factors that place constraints on radio-chemists who are seeking to design and develop radiopharmaceuticals for PET imaging studies include the short half-lives of 11C and 18F, minimum radiochemical yield and specific activity requirements, and high radiation fields that are associated with multi-Curie quantities of PET radionuclides. Nevertheless, during the past 20 years, considerable progress has been made in the development and application of a variety of PET radiotracers for a range of imaging studies in human subjects. We have highlighted a few areas of radiochemistry that focused on PET radiotracers that are described in this issue. Although the number of PET radiotracers synthesized is in the hundreds [6], much work remains to develop specific and useful PET radiotracers for a host of new and exciting noninvasive imaging applications.
Theory and simulation of high-gain ion-ripple lasers

Both the Raman, coherent Compton, and Compton regimes of high-gain ion-ripple Lasers (IRL's) are studied. The IRL works by coupling a negative-energy beam wave (or ponderomotive potential) to an electromagnetic wave by means of the ion ripple (backward Raman scattering or backward coherent Compton scattering) or by amplification of an em wave by negative Landau damping (backward Compton scattering). By employing fluid theory, the dispersion relation for wave coupling is derived and used to calculate the radiation frequency and linear growth rate. The nonlinear saturation mechanism is explored. A multidimensional (one dimension in space, three dimensions in momenta and fields) particle-in-cell simulation code was developed to verify the ideas, scaling laws, and nonlinear mechanisms. The effect of momentum spread is also studied; there is a slow decrease in the growth rate and efficiency as well as broadening of the radiation spectrum. This scheme may provide tunable sources of coherent high-power radiation. By proper choice of device parameters, sources of microwaves, optical, and perhaps even x rays can be made. An ion ripple in a plasma can provide a very short undulator wavelength (e.g., \ensuremath{\sim}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}2}$ cm) and strong dc electric fields (e.g., \ensuremath{\sim}${10}^{10}$ V/m; equivalent to a magnetic field of 30 T). The plasma also produces an ion channel that provides guiding of electron and laser beams. The IRL's may generate high-power (e.g., g1 MW), coherent, short-wavelength photons with relatively low beam energy (e.g., \ensuremath{\sim}10 MeV) and possibly low beam quality requirement. The availability of tunable sources for wide wavelength regimes, coherence and high power, as well as lower cost and simplicity of equipment are emphasized.
Space-time quantification of rainfall inputs for hydrological transport models

Abstract Since the early dyas of the development of hydrology, hydrologists have attempted to represent the amount of rainfall on a catchment in both time and space through areal averaging techniques. Much work has been reported in the literature which deals with characterizing rainfall by depth, duration, intensity and frequency of occurrence. Defining rainfall variability in time and space has been the subject of many studies using dense experimental raingage networks and radar instrumentation. While the definition of variability and characterization of rainfall are important, the hydrologic response of the basin, due to rainfall time and space distribution for event and between events periods, is required in continuous simulation models. Raingage network densities, ranging from the experimental network density (23 km 2 ) to climatological density (400 km 2 ), are used to calculate the element rainfall amount. Using rainfall records from a dense network of recording raingages (168 gages on 2926 km 2 ), methods of distributing rainfall from point amounts to distributed runoff model area elements are tested. Density of the rainage network spacing vs. size of the distributive model elements are tested on basins ranging in size from 67 to 2926 km 2 . Depending on the size of the distributed model element and the size of the basin, the computation and computer processing of rainfall input data can be prohibitive. The time scale increment and corresponding model responses for selected hydrological models are also tested. The computation requirements and relative cost of basin-scale rainfall inputs are presented.
Single and repetitive paired-pulse suppression: a parametric analysis and assessment of usefulness in epilepsy research.

Summary Purpose: The paired-pulse technique has been widely used as a convenient but indirect measure of “inhibition” in hippocampal circuits of normal and epileptic animals. Most investigators have used a single paired-pulse protocol, whereas others have utilized repetitive paired pulses. This study investigated which parameters influence results from paired-pulse tests, focusing on the repetitive paired-pulse technique; it aims to assess how this technique may be used in an unbiased and quantitative manner across animal preparations for comparisons of control and experimental epileptic animals. Methods: The perforant path was stimulated while field potentials were recorded from the granule cell layer under isoflurane anesthesia. Paired-pulse suppression was analyzed as a function of stimulation intensity and interpulse interval and frequency. Results: Paired-pulse suppression was greater with increased stimulus intensity and decreased interpulse interval (20–100 ms). During repetitive protocols, stimulation frequencies ≤1.0 Hz produced paired-pulse suppression similar to single paired-pulse responses, but caused more paired-pulse suppression between 1.0 and 4.0 Hz at all but the lowest intensities. The amplitude of the population spike produced by the conditioning pulse increased progressively during stimulation at higher frequencies (1.0–4.0 Hz). Discussion: The single paired-pulse technique is highly dependent on stimulation parameters, as is the repetitive paired-pulse protocol, which is more variable. To generate reliable, consistent, and unbiased data in comparisons of control and experimental epileptic groups, all parameters should be specified and controlled across experiments. Paired-pulse suppression is susceptible to alterations in many mechanisms, and, therefore, represents a circuit response rather than an assay of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic inhibition in epilepsy research.
Phase structure of the FCC quartet Ising model

Abstract The phase structure of an Ising model with four-spin interactions defined on an FCC lattice is determined by Monte Carlo techniques. Our results show that this system undergoes a single, first order transition at the self-dual point. This resolves previous mutually contradictory conclusions which have been drawn about this model.
Enhanced Human Memory Consolidation With Post-Learning Stress: Interaction With the Degree of Arousal at Encoding

Abundant evidence indicates that endogenous stress hormones such as epinephrine and corticosterone modulate memory consolidation in animals. We recently provided the first demonstration that an endogenous stress hormone (epinephrine) can enhance human memory consolidation. However, these findings also suggested that post-learning stress hormone activation does not uniformly enhance memory for all recently acquired information; rather, that it interacts with the degree of arousal at initial encoding of material in modulating memory for the material. Here we tested this hypothesis by administering cold pressor stress (CPS) or a control procedure to subjects after they viewed slides of varying emotional content, and assessing memory for the slides 1 wk later. CPS, which significantly elevated salivary cortisol levels, enhanced memory for emotionally arousing slides compared with the controls, but did not affect memory for relatively neutral slides. These findings further support the view that post-learning stress hormone-related activity interacts with arousal at initial encoding to modulate memory consolidation.
Length-dependent deactivation of ventricular trabeculae in the bivalve, Spisula solidissima

Shortening-deactivation has been identified and characterized in ventricular trabeculae of the bivalve, Spisula solidissima (Heterodonta, Mactridae). This muscle had ultrastructural similarities to vertebrate smooth muscle. Deactivation was defined as the fraction of maximal force lost during a contraction when a muscle is shortened rapidly (by a quick-release, QR) to a known length, relative to a control isometric contraction at that same length. The magnitude of deactivation was dependent on the size of the release and the point at which the release was applied during the cycle of contraction. QR/quick-stretch (QS) perturbations at the same point during the contraction resulted in negligible deactivation. The magnitude of deactivation was independent of shortening rate. Deactivation was attenuated by applying caffeine (100 microM) and blocked with high extracellular Ca(2+) (56 mM). The Ca(2+) ionophore, A23187 (10 microM), augmented deactivation as did the positive inotrope serotonin (100 nM). Treatment with ryanodine (5 microM) had no significant effect on deactivation. These results suggest that a reduction in Ca(2+) at the contractile element and/or sequestration of Ca(2+) may occur during shortening. Deactivation may minimize the magnitude of work done during active shortening of bivalve cardiac muscle, particularly against the low afterload exhibited in the bivalve peripheral circulatory system. Intracellular Ca(2+) fluxes during sudden length perturbations may explain the effect of stretch on action potential duration in the bivalve heart, as shown previously.
Studies on a cytochrome oxidase antibody. IV. An immunologic impurity.

Antisera elicited in rabbits upon injection of purified beef heart cytochrome oxidase give a variable number of immunoprecipitin lines upon diffusion against other equally pure oxidases derived from either beef heart or rat liver. Such results obtain with oxidase preparations derived by each of several commonly used preparative procedures. The phenomenon is due to the presence of a heretofor unsuspected contaminant which is capable of oxidizing NADH in the presence of a suitable electron acceptor. The presence of an antibody specific to the NADH dehydrogenating activity is made evident at low antigen to antibody ratios by the appearance of a precipitin line with distinctive staining characteristics. In quantitative precipitation experiments the rabbit antisera can discriminate between the two enzymes, yielding essentially quantitative precipitation of cytochrome oxidase with minimal precipitation of the nicotinamide adeninedinucleotide (NADH) dehydrogenating activity.
Delivery complications associated with prenatal care access for Medicaid-insured mothers in rural and urban hospitals.

ABSTRACT: Context: Pregnancy complications affect many women. It is likely that some complications can be avoided through routine primary and prenatal care of reasonable quality. Purpose: The authors examined access to health care during pregnancy for mothers insured by Medicaid. The access indicator is potentially avoidable maternity complications (PAMCs). Potentially avoidable maternity complications are often preventable through routine prenatal care, such as infection screening and treatment. The authors examined the risks of potentially avoidable maternity complications among rural and urban hospital deliveries for groups of mothers defined by race or ethnicity. Methods: Data are from the year 2000 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS). The stratified sample represents all discharges from 20.5% of community hospitals in the United States. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample identifies hospital locations, but not patients' areas of residence. Analyses, which accounted for the sample design, included calculation of potentially avoidable maternity complication rates by race or ethnicity, X2, t tests, and multivariate logistic regression. Findings: Within groups defined by race or ethnicity, unadjusted rates for potentially avoidable maternity complications did not differ significantly by hospital location. Holding other factors constant, potentially avoidable maternity complications were less common in rural hospitals than in urban hospitals (odds ratio, 0.78; CI, 0.62 to 0.99). In rural hospitals, African Americans had notably higher risk for potentially avoidable maternity complications than did non-Hispanic whites (odds ratio, 1.72; CI, 1.26 to 2.36). In urban hospitals, risk of potentially avoidable maternity complications was not significantly higher for African Americans. Hispanics and Asians had notably lower risks of potentially avoidable maternity complications in urban hospitals than did non-Hispanic whites. Conclusions: Providers and policymakers should work to reduce the risks of potentially avoidable maternity complications for African American women in rural areas who are insured by Medicaid.
Potential underlying mechanisms for greater weight gain in massaged preterm infants

In this paper, potential underlying mechanisms for massage therapy effects on preterm infant weight gain are reviewed. Path analyses are presented suggesting that: (1) increased vagal activity was associated with (2) increased gastric motility, which, in turn, was related to (3) greater weight gain; and (4) increased IGF-1 was related to greater weight gain. The change in vagal activity during the massage explained 49% of the variance in the change in gastric activity. And, the change in vagal activity during the massage explained 62% of the variance in the change in insulin. That the change in gastric activity was not related to the change in insulin suggests two parallel pathways via which massage therapy leads to increased weight gain: (1) insulin release via the celiac branch of the vagus; and (2) increased gastric activity via the gastric branch of the vagus.
Primitive human hematopoietic progenitor cells express receptors for granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor.

Abstract Most cytokines act only synergistically in assays of primitive progenitor cell proliferation, and effects have usually been observed first after prolonged cell culture. Studies reporting that primitive progenitors lack receptors for a number of cytokines, including granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), could indicate that several "synergistic" cytokines primarily affect cells that have differentiated in vitro. Here, however, we show that freshly isolated primitive progenitor cells (CD34 hi CD38 − ) express receptors for GM-CSF at levels 20%–30% of granulo-monocytic progenitors. Although GM-CSF had minimal effects on the survival or proliferation of primitive progenitors when added alone, the cytokine enhanced stem cell factor (SCF) induced cell cycle entry in the first generation. The effect was not observed when cells were incubated sequentially with SCF and GM-CSF. The results suggest that the synergistic effects of GM-CSF are mediated directly on primitive progenitor cells and that the cytokine may be useful to enhance cell cycle entry of hematopoietic stem cells.
Quality control and the practice of clinical psychology

Abstract Because of current health care reforms, quality control, accountability, and cost-effectiveness have become important issues in the practice of clinical psychology. It is imperative that practicing clinicians begin to evaluate their services to assess whether they demonstrate high quality and cost-effectiveness, as well as a continued commitment to qualify improvement. Deming's (1986) approach to quality control is discussed as a useful strategy for improving effectiveness in the practice of clinical psychology. This approach emphasizes the process of identification of the client population, improvements through incremental processes, and evaluation of outcomes. Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) techniques are also reviewed as useful ways in which to supplement and improve on Deming's approach to quality control. Science and quality control are discussed as being inherently coherent. The scientist—practitioner model dictates that services provided to clients should be rigorously evaluated. Various procedures for evaluating the quality of services provided in clinical practice are discussed.
Multifocal planes head-mounted displays.

Stereoscopic head-mounted displays (HMD’s) provide an effective capability to create dynamic virtual environments. For a user of such environments, virtual objects would be displayed ideally at the appropriate distances, and natural concordant accommodation and convergence would be provided. Under such image display conditions, the user perceives these objects as if they were objects in a real environment. Current HMD technology requires convergent eye movements. However, it is currently limited by fixed visual accommodation, which is inconsistent with real-world vision. A prototype multiplanar volumetric projection display based on a stack of laminated planes was built for medical visualization as discussed in a paper presented at a 1999 Advanced Research Projects Agency workshop (Sullivan, Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Va., 1999). We show how such technology can be engineered to create a set of virtual planes appropriately configured in visual space to suppress conflicts of convergence and accommodation in HMD’s. Although some scanning mechanism could be employed to create a set of desirable planes from a two-dimensional conventional display, multiplanar technology accomplishes such function with no moving parts. Based on optical principles and human vision, we present a comprehensive investigation of the engineering specification of multiplanar technology for integration in HMD’s. Using selected human visual acuity and stereoacuity criteria, we show that the display requires at most 27 equally spaced planes, which is within the capability of current research and development display devices, located within a maximal 26-mm-wide stack. We further show that the necessary in-plane resolution is of the order of 5 µm.
Effects of processing time on strengths and failure modes of dissimilar spot friction welds between aluminum 5754-O and 7075-T6 sheets

The effects of the processing time on the strengths and failure modes of two types of dissimilar spot friction welds between aluminum 5754-O and 7075-T6 sheets are investigated by experiments. Dissimilar 5754/7075 and 7075/5754 spot friction welds made at different processing conditions were tested under lap-shear loading conditions. The experimental results indicate that the failure loads of both types of welds in lap-shear specimens increase when the processing time increases for the given ranges of the processing time. The optimal processing times to maximize the failure loads of the 5754/7075 and 7075/5754 welds under lap-shear loading conditions are identified. The maximum failure load of the 7075/5754 welds is about 40% larger than that of the 5754/7075 welds. Selected optical and scanning electron micrographs of both types of welds made at different processing times before and after failure are examined. The micrographs show different weld geometries and different failure modes of the welds made at different processing times. The failure modes of the dissimilar 5754/7075 and 7075/5754 spot friction welds are quite complex and appear to strongly depend on the geometry and strength of the interfacial surface between the two deformed sheet materials.
ISYS (Integrated SYStem): a platform for integrating heterogeneous bioinformatic resources.

Modern biological discovery is becoming a domain where one increasingly requires a synthesis of disparate biological data to make significant progress. For example, over the life of an investigation it is not uncommon to need to employ QTL (Quantitative Trait Loci) mapping techniques, access sequenced information of the candidate regions, cross species boundaries with sequence homologies via BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool), seek to relate interesting annotations via gene ontologies, and follow this up with directed gene expression studies. In fact, the multifaceted approach to biological discovery can be seen by noting that the opposite sequence of events is equally feasible. To be able to deploy this type of investigation, one requires the computational analysis of data at numerous stages. Indeed, while bioinformatic analysis is clearly not solely sufficient for biological discovery (except in rare cases), it is becoming increasingly necessary as a component in almost all cases. In response to this, much bioinformatic development to date has been in been in either the development of individual, specialized tools and algorithms, or integration at the data level. This is witnessed by the wide variety of expert tools available and the plethora of different standards and databases for cross-data type comparisons. Yet despite this, moving between even a small number of programs during a single session at the computer can be clumsy and inefficient, and integration at the data level has numerous inherent limitations, including constraints on flexibility, biological context, cost, and timeliness. Integration – or the lack of it – remains one of the fundamental obstacles to the efficient identification, inclusion, analysis, and synthesis of biological data.
Temperature dependence of oxidation induced stacking faults and oxygen incorporation in dislocation-free Czochralski silicon

Abstract Oxidation induced stacking faults have been a problem in single crystal silicon grown by the Czochralski method for many years. OISF is a type of lattice defect which can act as a sink/source for impurities. Fundamental causes for OISF originate in the kinetics of crystal growth. The most dominant factor responsible for OISF is the temperature of the molten silicon. This paper describes the dependence of OISF and oxygen incroporation upon the melt temperature. The perceived relationship between OISF and oxygen is also discussed.
Application of partial order to stream channel assessment at bridge infrastructure for mitigation management

Many environmental systems and infrastructure systems are monitored using a set of indicator values that assess several aspects of site condition. The values of different indicators often convey different comparative messages for the study sites. The comparability between sites is analyzed within the theory of partially-ordered sets and visualized with Hasse diagrams. This paper demonstrates that properties of partially-ordered sets and the conversion of indicator scores into a rank matrix provide a manager or decision-maker with valuable information that would be lost if the monitored indicator data were aggregated only into a single index. Stream stability assessment data from 49 bridge crossing sites in the United States are used to demonstrate these techniques in prioritization and identification of restoration and maintenance needs of stream channels at bridge crossings.
A Systematic Approach to Marine Debris Reduction Efforts and Education in New Hampshire

A recent focus of marine debris research is to identify and target pollution sources so that solutions to the problem can be developed through policy and education. This project hopes to expand upon this focus by also examining public attitudes toward marine debris and using this information with cleanup data to systematically implement and test community mitigation techniques. One objective of this research was to examine current community marine debris cleanup and reduction efforts in New Hampshire (as a baseline) by analyzing beach cleanup data. Marine debris monitoring data has been collected by the Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation over the past four years. Cleanups have been conducted by the organization at fourteen different New Hampshire sites during this time. A data summary was composed for each which included a compilation of data from 2002 through 2006. Additionally, marine debris composition (e.g., land-based, ocean-based, etc.) was mapped in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) along with significant influencing factors. Besides mapping the marine debris quantity and composition per collection site, the powerful component to GIS is that any potential influencing data available can be tied to all of these locations. The full integration of all available data will allow the evaluation of trends and correlations in marine debris data with myriad potential influences. Additionally, because the amount of ocean-based debris found on the NH Seacoast is greater than land-based debris for the majority of beaches, a new outreach program targeting commercial and recreation fisherman is being implemented. Finally, new technologies for monitoring, specifically, using personal digital assistants (PDAs) with integrated GPS systems to collect marine debris or oiled shoreline data have been evaluated. This technology could be transferred to other applications for monitoring marine pollution.
Clinical features and mechanisms of major laparoscopic biliary injury

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has quickly become the gold standard for the treatment of symptomatic cholelithiasis. With the introduction of this new technique has come a learning curve, with a higher than expected initial rate of complications. The most significant complication, as with open cholecystectomy, is injury to the bile duct. This article reviews the clinical features and mechanisms of major biliary injury in laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Monetary and Fiscal Policy Options for Dealing with External Shocks: Insights from the GIMF for Colombia

This paper utilizes an open-economy New Keynesian overlapping generations model, the Global Integrated Monetary and Fiscal Model (GIMF), to assess the macroeconomic effects of external shocks and the impact of various monetary and fiscal policy responses. The simulations assess the effect of shocks to trade, world income, and risk premia for public debt. The results suggest that under Colombia's inflation targeting regime, which incorporates exchange rate flexibility and a highly responsive monetary policy, the economy is well poised to adjust to different external shocks. They also suggest that the potential role of fiscal policy in responding to shocks depends critically on financing conditions.
Effects of two lipids on in vitro ruminal methane production

Abstract The effects on mixed ruminal cultures of olive oil (OO) and a hexadecatrienoic acid (HA, cis-C 16:6,9,12 ) extracted from the Hawaiian algae Chaetoceros were studied in 24 h-batch fermentation. HA at 0.5, 1 and 2 ml/l linearly decreased CH 4 production by 25, 47 and 97%, respectively, while OO did not affect it. HA at 0.5, 1 and 2 ml/l increased H 2 accumulation by 2-, 2- and 5-fold, respectively. Release of CO 2 was linearly decreased by HA at 0.5, 1 and 2 ml/l by 10, 32 and 48%, respectively, while OO linearly increased it by 9, 2 and 17%, at the same concentrations. Apparently fermented OM, as estimated through the VFA production stoichiometry, was linearly decreased by HA at 0.5, 1 and 2 ml/l by 9, 19 and 42%, respectively, while OO did not affect it. HA decreased acetate molar percentage, increased propionate, and tended to decrease butyrate. OO tended to decrease acetate molar percentage, and increased propionate and butyrate molar percentages. HA at 0.5, 1 and 2 ml/l linearly decreased NH 4 + concentration by 5, 5 and 21%, respectively. HA was a strong inhibitor of methanogenesis, but decreased fermentation and increased H 2 accumulation. Addition of OO increased propionate production and did not seem to inhibit fermentation.
Phosphor system for converting far-infrared laser radiation to visible light

Criteria are given for the design of a directly visible phonon-assist phosphor device for converting far-infrared radiation to visible light. The operation of such a device, made with a readily available phosphor, is described. Two modes of conversion are demonstrated.
Electrical and Dielectric Properties of Hydroxylated Carbon Nanotube−Elastomer Composites

High-dielectric-constant carbon nanotube−polymer composites are developed using core−shell multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) as a filler, in which the outer graphene layer is covalently functionalized to become nonconducting, whereas the inner graphene layers are unfunctionalized and remain electrically conducting. Hydroxylated MWNTs represent one of the simplest types of core−shell MWNTs. In this article, we report a comparative study of the electrical and dielectric properties of MWNT−polydimethylsiloxane composites based on pristine MWNTs and hydroxylated MWNTs, respectively. We demonstrate for the first time the feasibility of using core−shell MWNTs as a filler to increase the dielectric constant and reduce the dielectric loss of nanotube−polymer composites.
The Treatment of Factitial Disease

• Self-induced diseases have been reported si:1ce mankind's earliest written records, and there is no shortage of them in the newer medical literature. The astuteness with which patients nowadays reproduce complicated clinical disease entities 111 has been matched by the medical profession's efforts in detecting them. In most cases, the process of detection is a long and costly one, potentially hazardous to the patient and aggravating to the physician. While we have become more proficient in detection of factitial diseases, we have been somewhat slow in classifying these disorders.
Metal transporters that contribute copper to metallochaperones in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Copper metallochaperones represent a new family of soluble, low-molecular-weight proteins that function to deliver copper to specific sites within a cell. How the metallochaperones acquire their copper, however, is not known. In this study, we have conducted a survey of known metal ion transporters in bakers' yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, to identify those that contribute copper to pathways involving the metallochaperones Atx1p and Lys7p. The results indicatethat, in addition to the well known Ctr1p and Ctr3p high-affinity copper transporters, the metallochaperones can acquire their copper through pathways involving the relatively non-specific divalent metal ion transporter Fet4p and the putative low-affinitycopper transporter Ctr2p. We have examined the localization of Ctr2p using an epitope tagged version of the protein and find that Ctr2p does not localize to the cell surface but may operate at the level of the vacuole to mobilize intracellular copper. Inaddition to Ctr1p, Ctr2p, Ctr3p and Fet4p, other metal transport systems can act as upstream donors of copper for the metallochaperones when copper availability in the medium is increased. Although the nature of these auxiliary systems is unknown, they donot appear to involve the yeast members of the Nramp family of divalent transporters, or uptake mechanisms that involve endocytosis. Since vastly different metal transporters located at either the cell surface or intracellular sites can all contribute copper to metallochaperones, it is unlikely that the metallochaperones directly interact with the metal transporters to obtain the metal.
Actions of centrally administered neuropeptides on rat intestinal transport: enhancement of ileal absorption by angiotensin II.

Recent evidence suggests that opioids and other peptides may act within the CNS to modulate intestinal fluid and ion transport. In this study, the brain peptides bombesin and angiotensin II were examined for their ability to alter water flux across the small intestine after their intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration to rats. In addition, changes in mean arterial pressure and respiratory frequency were determined after peptide treatment to assess the physiological specificity of their CNS actions. Bombesin, administered by i.c.v. bolus injections (10–1000 ng/rat) or continuous infusion (100 ng/min), rapidly elevated blood pressure and respiration, but had no significant effect on water transport in proximal jejunum or distal ileum in situ (as measured by single-pass perfusion with [14C]polyethylene glycol as non-absorbed water marker). Angiotensin II rapidly increased blood pressure and enhanced ileal absorption 30 min after its i.c.v. bolus injection at 0.1–1 μg, but had no effect on jejunal transport or respiration. These effects were inhibited in rats pretreated with either the angiotensin antagonist [Sar1, Val5, Ala8]angiotensin II (5 μg i.c.v.) or the α-adrenoceptor antagonist, phentolamine (1 mg/kg i.v.). In contrast, atropine methylnitrate (0.1 mg/kg i.v.) pretreatment inhibited the proabsorptive, but not the pressor effects of angiotensin. These results indicate for the first time that angiotensin II promotes fluid absorption in the rat intestine by an action within the CNS. The mechanisms underlying this novel action of angiotensin appear to differ from those responsible for its hypertensive action.
Angular Position Determination of Spacecraft by Radio Interferometry

This paper describes a variety of interferometric techniques that may be used for measuring the angular location of a spacecraft with respect to natural celestial radio sources or another spacecraft. The differential propagation time-delay techniques largely cancel the common error sources and normally achieve low angular coordinate errors. Currently, the accuracy of the techniques are in the 1-2 nrad range for observations with a duration of one hour and 3-6deg of mean angular separation between the spacecraft and the reference sources at X-band frequencies. There are various possible ways to implement the differential angular measurements depending upon the determination of the phase cycle ambiguities associated with the differential propagation time delays of remote sources. There are methods that utilize a sufficiently large range of observing frequencies and others that rely upon the spatial arrangement of the receiving system and the rotation of the terrestrial platform. We summarize the methodologies and the advantages and disadvantages of the various techniques.
Resistive wall impedance of an insert

The standard theoretical formulae for resistive wall impedance are usually derived in a model which assumes an infinitely long pipe. In practice, one often has to deal with resistive inserts with a conductivity different from the rest of the pipe. To address this case, we calculate the resistive wall impedance when the wall conductivity varies along the axis of the pipe. We show that at not very high frequencies the impedance of an insert per unit length is given by the same formulae as for an infinitely long pipe.
Is a certain amount of cysteine prerequisite to produce brain damage in neonatal rats

In this study, various manipulations were used to determine if certain amounts of cysteine are essential to damage the neonatal rat brain. The information gathered from this study indicated that concentration of free cysteine may be 0.6 μmol/g of wet brain weight or more to cause the toxicity to produce the brain damage, and the results were discussed in the light that free cysteine might itself be the cause of brain damage.
Some reactions of bis(N-haloalkylsalicylaldiminato)nickel(II) complexes

Abstract Bis-(N-3-Bromopropylsalicylaldiminato)nicke(II) reacts with sodium iodide in acetone to produce the corresponding iodo derivative. Under indentical conditions, bis-(N-2-bromoethylsalicylaldiminato)nickel(II) rearranges to form a nickel iodide complex of an imine ether. This is a new example of the template reaction.
Update on the Search for Miss Waldron’s Red Colobus Monkey

Miss Waldron’s red colobus (Procolobus badius waldroni) has a restricted distribution in eastern Ivory Coast and western Ghana. There have been no confirmed sightings of them since 1978 and surveys carried out from 1993 to the present have yet to reveal any living individual. Since the announcement of the monkey’s probable extinction (Oates et al., 2000), new evidence from forest in the extreme southeast of Ivory Coast suggests that a handful of individuals have remained undetected to this point. I discuss the evidence—a tail, a skin and a photograph—and results of accompanying surveys. Additional surveys of the Ehy Forest are required to confirm the presence of Procolobus badius waldroni and an Action Plan for the conservation of all red colobus across the continent is needed to prevent the disappearance of other taxa.
Homoepitaxial growth of ZnS single crystal thin films by molecular beam epitaxy

Abstract Homoepitaxial ZnS single crystal films have been grown on ZnS(100) substrates at a low temperature of 260°C by molecular beam epitaxy using a high-temperature S beam heated up at 800°C. Crystallinity, surface morphology and growth rate of the films grown under various beam conditions (Zn beam pressure P Zn =(0.1−1.8) x 10 -6 Torr, S beam pressure P S =(1.6−3.7) x 10 -6 Torr and beam pressure ratio P S / P Zn =1–32) were investigated. Under the above beam conditions, the growth rate was independent of P Zn , proportional to the square of P S , and was higher on (100)4°–5° off substrates than on (100) substrates. From these results, the growth kinetics were presumed to be governed by a pairwise interaction of S molecules with a Zn atom at a step site on the growth surface. ZnS single crystal films with good crystallinity and flat surfaces were successfully grown at high beam pressure ratios ( P S / P Zn > 4). On the other hand, crystallinity and surface morphology of the grown films became worse on decreasing the beam pressure ratio ( P S / P Zn
How and Why Participatory Management Improves a Company's Social Performance: Four Gainsh/ring Case Studies

Many of the humanistic values that CSR3 theorists would like to see embedded in business organizations are the foundation of participatory management theory. Does the institutionalization of democratic processes and values-in the form of nonmanagement employees voicing their opinions on production issues and electing representatives to key decision-making teams-improve a company's social performance? This research question is examined based on the documentation of changes in stakeholder policies and outcomes at four companies operating under a Scanlon-type gainsharing system for 4 to 6 years. Gainsharing's collaborative problem-solving mechanisms benefited owners in terms of cost savings, customers in terms of improved product quality and service, suppliers in terms of product feedback, and production employees in terms of improved health and safety conditions, as well as a variety of other favorable changes in policies and outcomes.
Observed variability in the large-scale static stability

Abstract This paper reports on a diagnosis of nine years of temperature data for deducing the spatial and temporal variability in the static stability in four distinct ranges of time scale (seasonal cycle component, interannual component, intraseasonal component, and synoptic component). The climatological mean field varies over a factor of 2 in the extratropics. The subseasonal variability reaches 40% of the corresponding seasonal mean values in the two storm track regions. The 1982/83 winter data are separately analyzed, and systematic differences from the corresponding climatological statistics are found.
GuideArch: guiding the exploration of architectural solution space under uncertainty

A system's early architectural decisions impact its properties (e.g., scalability, dependability) as well as stakeholder concerns (e.g., cost, time to delivery). Choices made early on are both difficult and costly to change, and thus it is paramount that the engineer gets them "right". This leads to a paradox, as in early design, the engineer is often forced to make these decisions under uncertainty, i.e., not knowing the precise impact of those decisions on the various concerns. How could the engineer make the "right" choices in such circumstances? This is precisely the question we have tackled in this paper. We present GuideArch, a framework aimed at quantitative exploration of the architectural solution space under uncertainty. It provides techniques founded on fuzzy math that help the engineer with making informed decisions.
Organic Acids in Fresh Bovine Semen

Summary An organic acid analysis of fresh bovine semen has shown that acetic, lactic, glycolic, and citric acids are major constituents of this material. Propionic, formic, succinic, malonic, and malic acids were found in measurable quantity in a pooled semen sample, with only a trace of β -hydroxybutyric acid. With individual ejaculates, acetic and lactic acids were in the greatest quantity, followed by formic and propionic. β -hydroxybutyric acid was not detected and the other acids were not determined in the single ejaculates. The concentration of these acids, with the exception of β -hydroxybutyric, was greater in semen than in bovine blood. Presence of these acids in semen may influence results from aerobic metabolism studies, and the technique used for determining organic acids may be useful in studying oxidative pathways.