cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impulsive social influence increases impulsive choices on a temporal discounting task in young adults.

Adolescents and young adults who affiliate with friends who engage in impulsive behavior are more likely to engage in impulsive behaviors themselves, and those who associate with prosocial (i.e. more prudent, future oriented) peers are more likely to engage in prosocial behavior. However, it is difficult to disentangle the contribution of peer influence vs. peer selection (i.e., whether individuals choose friends with similar traits) when interpreting social behaviors. In this study, we combined a novel social manipulation with a well-validated delay discounting task assessing impulsive behavior to create a social influence delay discounting task, in which participants were exposed to both impulsive (smaller, sooner or SS payment) and non-impulsive (larger, later or LL payment) choices from their peers. Young adults in this sample, n = 51, aged 18–25 had a higher rate of SS choices after exposure to impulsive peer influence than after exposure to non-impulsive peer influence. Interestingly, in highly susceptible individuals, the rate of non-impulsive choices did not increase after exposure to non-impulsive influence. There was a positive correlation between self-reported suggestibility and degree of peer influence on SS choices. These results suggest that, in young adults, SS choices appear to be influenced by the choices of same-aged peers, especially for individuals who are highly susceptible to influence.
Particulate Organic Matter Composition and Pythium Damping‐Off of Cucumber

Organic matter-mediated root rot suppression is unpredictable in field soils. This study was conducted to determine whether particulate organic matter (POM) composition and content were related to Pythium damping-off (DO) incidence in a sand amended with sawdust-bedded dairy manure compost (15% compost:85% sand, v/v) incubated in pots for 506 d. Suppressive and conducive POM composition was then related to literature values for agricultural and forest soil POM fractions. The suppressive potential of the substrate was determined with a Cucumis sativus L. (cucumber)/Pythium ultimum DO bioassay. Particulate organic matter composition was determined spectroscopically. The compost-amended sand supported suppression of DO for a period of ∼1 yr. Suppression was sustained by the degradation of the less decomposed coarse and mid-sized POM fractions. After these fractions stabilized in mass, suppression was lost. Plant constituents were highly degraded during composting before amendment to sand. Compost-derived POM composition changed little as suppression was supported for 1 yr. In contrast, aromatic and aliphatic contents and alkyl- and O-alkyl C declined as suppression was lost. Suppressive POM was similar in composition to forest soil organic horizons and soil unprotected light fraction (ULF), suggesting that the least-decomposed soil physical fractions may be the only fractions compositionally capable of supporting suppression of DO in field soils.
Optimization of antibody immobilization for sensing using piezoelectrically excited-millimeter-sized cantilever (PEMC) sensors

Abstract The effectiveness of antibody immobilization on sensor performance was evaluated using a piezoelectric-excited millimeter-sized cantilever (PEMC) sensor and a model protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA). The immobilization parameters—antibody and activation reagent concentration and reaction time were systematically varied and the resultant sensor response to 1 pg/mL BSA was measured. The highest frequency shift due to BSA attachment (1931 ± 60 Hz) was obtained when 100 μg/mL antibody solution was activated with EDC (2 mM) and sulfo-NHS (5 mM) for 30 min prior to reaction with primary amine on the sensor surface. Increasing activation time from 30 to 60 min resulted in an 8% decrease in sensor response, while activation at 0.2 mM EDC and 0.5 mM NHS resulted in a 65% decrease. The logarithmic correlation between antibody concentration and sensor response suggests that a lower antibody concentration of 10 μg/mL is sufficient for BSA at 1 pg/mL. With 10 μg/mL antibody, the PEMC sensor response was 725 ± 50 Hz ( n = 2) for 1 pg/mL BSA with a signal to noise ratio of 41.
Dependence of response of plastic track detectors on post-irradiation aging time, temperature, and atmosphere

Abstract We find that, in general, the response (track etch rate) of a plastic track detector to an energetic charged particle depends not only on ionization rate but also on the “aging” time between irradiation and chemical etching, on the ambient temperature during aging, and on the atmosphere during aging. Data relevant to the use of plastic track detectors on long-duration space missions will be presented.
Pseudomonas syringae Type III Effector HopZ1 Targets a Host Enzyme to Suppress Isoflavone Biosynthesis and Promote Infection in Soybean

Type III secreted effectors (T3SEs), such as Pseudomonas syringae HopZ1, are essential bacterial virulence proteins injected into the host cytosol to facilitate infection. However, few direct targets of T3SEs are known. Investigating the target(s) of HopZ1 in soybean, a natural P. syringae host, we find that HopZ1 physically interacts with the isoflavone biosynthesis enzyme, 2-hydroxyisoflavanone dehydratase (GmHID1). P. syringae infection induces gmhid1 expression and production of daidzein, a major soybean isoflavone. Silencing gmhid1 increases susceptibility to P. syringae infection, supporting a role for GmHID1 in innate immunity. P. syringae expressing active but not the catalytic mutant of HopZ1 inhibits daidzein induction and promotes bacterial multiplication in soybean. HopZ1-enhanced P. syringae multiplication is at least partially dependent on GmHID1. Thus, GmHID1 is a virulence target of HopZ1 to promote P. syringae infection of soybean. This work highlights the isoflavonoid biosynthesis pathway as an antibacterial defense mechanism and a direct T3SE target.
Direct and Collateral Effects of Restraints and Restraint Fading.

Mechanical restraints are commonly used to reduce the risks associated with severe self-injurious behavior (SIB), but may result in movement restriction and adverse side effects (e.g., bone demineralization). Restraint fading may provide a method for decreasing SIB while increasing movement and reducing these side effects. In the current investigation, rigid arm sleeves and restraint fading (gradually reducing the rigidity of the sleeves) were used with 3 clients who engaged in hand-to-head SIB. Restraints and fading reduced the hand-to-head SIB of all clients. However, for 1 client, the addition of a water mist procedure further reduced SIB to near-zero levels. For a 2nd client, another form of SIB developed that was not prevented by the rigid sleeves. For a 3rd client, a topography of SIB that was not physically prevented by the rigid sleeves was also reduced when restraints and fading were introduced.
Study of resonances in the photoionization of Ar@C 60 and C 60

The static-exchange method is applied to investigate photoionization of a confined system, Ar@C60. The realistic confinement potential employed in the present work explicitly includes the position of each carbon atom in the C60, which is a considerable improvement over methods to address the structure and photo dynamics of a confined system where the carbon shell is modelled by a spherically symmetric model potential. In the present study, photoionization from the deepest of the valence shells of C60 and Ar with ag symmetry is considered. There is a one-to-one correspondence between resonances that appear in the Ar@C60 system when the hole is in the 3s of the Ar, when the hole is in the C60 shell, or when the hole is in a free C60 system. Encapsulation of the Ar atom leads to some differences in the shapes and shifts in the energies of the resonant features in the cross-sections. However the qualitative features of the resonant state wave functions are very similar in the corresponding resonances of Ar@C60 and C60.
Optical magnetic plasma in artificial flowers.

We report the design of an artificial flower-like structure that supports a magnetic plasma in the optical domain. The structure is composed of alternating “petals” of conventional dielectrics (e>0) and plasmonic materials (Re(e)<0). The induced effective magnetic current on such a structure possesses a phase lag with respect to the incident TE-mode magnetic field, similar to the phase lag between the induced electric current and the incident TM-mode electric field on a metal wire. An analogy is thus drawn with an artificial electric plasma composed of metal wires driven by a radio frequency excitation. The effective medium of an array of flowers has a negative permeability within a certain wavelength range, thus behaving as a magnetic plasma.
Patterns of prey size and taxonomic composition in larval fish: are there general size-dependent models?

The allometric relationship of maxilla length to larval fish weight approached a slope of 1/3 for 11 species from Conception Bay, Newfoundland. In 10 of these species, mean prey size increased with length of the maxilla but not constantly. In six species, niche breadth increased with length of maxilla. The rate of change in niche breadth was inversely related to the rate of change in mean prey size. Nauplii and copepodites of calanoids were selected positively, and cyclopoids negatively for almost all species of larval fish.
Identification and nucleotide sequence of the thymidine kinase gene of swinepox virus.

Abstract Using degenerative oligonucleotide probes, representing two different conserved regions of poxvirus and mammalian thymidine kinase (TK) genes, the swinepox virus (SPV) TK gene was mapped to a 1.7-kb Bam HI- Hin dlll fragment of the viral genome. Nucleotide sequencing of this DNA piece revealed that the SPV TK gene was encoded by an open reading frame (ORF) of 177 codons. Immediately downstream of the TK gene was a second ORF with homologues at the same location in both capripoxvirus and leporipoxvirus genomes. A similar gene had translocated to near the left hand terminus of the vaccinia virus (orthopoxvirus) genome. Flanking the two SPV genes were ORFs whose counterparts in other poxvirus genera are located at the same relative positions. SPV appeared to be most closely related to capripoxvirus, based on the organization of the four genes and on the percentage of identical amino acid residues of the respective encoded proteins.
Predators Are Attracted to Acclimation Cages Used for Winter Flounder Stock Enhancement

Acclimation cages are used for juvenile, cultured winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus so that the fish can adjust to their new environment, hone their burial skills, begin pigment change, and recover from the stress of transport to the release site, all in the absence of predation. However, there have been indications that the cages attract the predatory green crab, Carcinus maenas. Studies conducted at the release site in the Hampton-Seabrook Estuary, New Hampshire, USA, determined that green crab abundance was significantly higher (ANOVA, p < 0.01) on cages containing fish than on empty cages, proving that acclimation cages containing flounder do attract green crabs. In addition, when empty acclimation cages were deployed, crab densities significantly increased (ANOVA, p < 0.01) in the vicinity of the acclimation cages and continued to increase each day, indicating that green crabs are also attracted to empty cages. Thus, although acclimation cages are a necessary tool that allows the stocked ...
JIT applications to warehousing operations

Abstract The JIT philosophy has been discussed at length in the past decade and many successful applications and implementations have been made in manufacturing environments. Most of the concepts are also applicable to warehousing and distribution systems. To remain competitive, companies in this service industry must improve the quality of the services they perform and also reduce the total cost of these services. One measure of the effectiveness of the JIT applications is the reduction of errors and complaints and leads directly to higher productivity. Higher productivity is derived also from reduced picking route distance, less storage space from more frequent replenishments of smaller quantities and an administered balance and team approach among the restocking, picking, packing and loading activities.
Cecoappendicovesicostomy: conduit-lengthening technique for use in continent urinary reconstruction

Abstract Objectives. To describe a conduit-lengthening technique for use in continent cutaneous appendicovesicostomy (Mitrofanoff procedure). Methods. Fifteen consecutive patients (4 male, 11 female) with a mean age of 14.2 years underwent tubularized cecal augmentation as a means to lengthen the catheterizable conduit while performing continent cutaneous appendicovesicostomy. Results. All patients successfully underwent appendiceal lengthening by tubularizing the cecum, thus creating a continent cutaneous cecoappendicovesicostomy. With a mean follow-up of 18.7 months, all patients have a working catheterizable conduit. One case of stomal stenosis occurred, producing a 6.7% conduit-related complication rate. Conclusions. Cecoappendicovesicostomy is a safe and useful means of conduit lengthening for patients undergoing continent cutaneous appendicovesicostomy (Mitrofanoff procedure).
Comparison of dual discrepancy criteria to assess response to intervention

Abstract Much of the research regarding diagnosing children as LD with responsiveness-to-intervention (RTI) has examined methods to identify children as non-responsive. The current study examined the dual discrepancy (DD) definition in which children score low on a post-intervention reading measure and score below their peers in reading growth rates. Four definitions of DD were compared, student growth below the 25th percentile, 33rd percentile, 50th percentile, and less than one standard deviation below the mean. Participants were 151 children in grades 1 through 3 who were identified as experiencing reading difficulties. Results suggested that the three percentile groups significantly differentiated reading scores between DD and non-DD children, but the one standard deviation group did not. No ethnic or gender biases were noted and the 25th and 33rd percentile criteria closely matched estimates of LD prevalence. Implications for future research are included.
Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 1 (FGFR1) Tyrosine Phosphorylation Regulates Binding of FGFR Substrate 2α (FRS2α) But Not FRS2β to the Receptor

Binding of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) to the FGF receptor (FGFR) tyrosine kinase leads to receptor tyrosine autophosphorylation as well as phosphorylation of multiple downstream signaling molecules that are recruited to the receptor either by direct binding or through adaptor proteins. The FGFR substrate 2 (FRS2) family consists of two members, FRS2alpha and FRS2beta, and has been shown to recruit multiple signaling molecules, including Grb2 and Shp2, to FGFR1. To better understand how FRS2 interacted with FGFR1, in vivo binding assays with coexpressed FGFR1 and FRS2 recombinant proteins in mammalian cells were carried out. The results showed that the interaction of full-length FRS2alpha, but not FRS2beta, with FGFR1 was enhanced by activation of the receptor kinase. The truncated FRS2alpha mutant that was comprised only of the phosphotyrosine-binding domain (PTB) bound FGFR1 constitutively, suggesting that the C-terminal sequence downstream the PTB domain inhibited the PTB-FGFR1 binding. Inactivation of the FGFR1 kinase and substitutions of tyrosine phosphorylation sites of FGFR1, but not FRS2alpha, reduced binding of FGFR1 with FRS2alpha. The results suggest that although the tyrosine autophosphorylation sites of FGFR1 did not constitute the binding sites for FRS2alpha, phosphorylation of these residues was essential for optimal interaction with FRS2alpha. In addition, it was demonstrated that the Grb2-binding sites of FRS2alpha are essential for mediating signals of FGFR1 to activate the FiRE enhancer of the mouse syndecan 1 gene. The results, for the first time, demonstrate the specific signals mediated by the Grb2-binding sites and further our understanding of FGF signal transmission at the adaptor level.
Association between alcohol screening scores and alcohol-related risks among female Veterans Affairs patients

Objective:Evidence-based brief interventions for primary care patients with at-risk drinking include personalized feedback on alcohol-related risks, yet little is known about associations between alcohol screening scores and outcomes among women. This study evaluated associations between scores on the three-item Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test–consumption (AUDIT-C) questionnaire and self-reported alcohol-related risks and consequences among veteran women.Method:Female outpatients from an urban Veterans Affairs facility were mailed annual surveys (1998–2000) (response rates: 65% Years 1 and 2, 55% Year 3). Measures were obtained from each respondent's first completed survey and included a gender-specific AUDIT-C (0–12 points), self-reported alcohol-related consequences, problem drinking or other drug use, and health risks. The prevalence of each outcome across AUDIT-C score groups (0, 1–2, 3, 4, 5–7, 8–12) was estimated using logistic regression, adjusting for age, race, and marital status.Result...
Distributed PV-battery architectures with reconfigurable power conversion units

A family of single-stage converters called Reconfigurable Solar Converter (RSC) is presented for integration of energy storage with a PV system where ramp-rate control and peak-shifting is desired. An algorithm designed to reduce the variability of photovoltaic (PV) power output by using a battery demonstrates the PV power output smoothing. The purpose of the battery is to add power to the PV output (or subtract power from the PV output) to smooth out the fast variations of the PV power that occur during periods with transient cloud shadows on the PV array. The proposed solution potentially requires minimal complexity and modifications to the PV converter for PV-battery systems application, and it will provide new architectures and utilization methods for achieving more efficient and more controllable PV farms. These architectures will potentially create flexible, retrofit and expandable platforms for current and future PV power plants.
Response from Menhaden Fish Meal in Diets of Young Turkeys

Abstract Diets involving three or five fish meal treatments and two zinc bacitracin treatments were fed to 5410 poults. The poults were divided into 552 pens and raised to two, three or four weeks of age in five series of 3 × 2 or 5 × 2 factorial experiments. Body weights increased 9.0 to 31.3% from the addition of 5% menhaden fish meal and 5.4 to 11.9% from the addition of 44 ppm bacitracin. No interaction existed between fish meal and bacitracin. Residues derived from either water or petroleum ether extraction of fish meal, when added to diets at levels equivalent to those in 5% fish meal, produced body weight gains nearly equal to those obtained from 5% fish meal. Body weights were not increased by the addition of either water or petroleum soluble extracts or by charred or ashed fish meal. The addition of a mixture of crystalline amino acids, defluorinated phosphate, and fat equivalent to 5% fish meal produced only a 4.4% increase in body weight. An unidentified growth factor which is non-lipid, non-mineral, and non-water soluble appears to be present in menhaden fish meal when added to well fortified poult diets.
The effect of some nucleotides and related compounds on sodium transport and water permability of the urinary bladder of the toad

Abstract 1. 1. Vasopressin and adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate, the intracellular mediator of the action of the hormone, each increase the rate of sodium transport and the permeability to water of the toad urinary bladder. 2. 2. It has been reported that guanosine 3′,5′-monophosphate, a naturally occurring cyclic nucleotide, increases the rate of sodium transport of the toad bladder but does not alter its permeability to water. 3. 3. In this study no effect of guanosine 3′,5′-monophosphate was observed on either process. 4. 4. Among other compounds tested, adenine was found to stimulate sodium transport transiently and to increase the permeability to water, an effect interpreted as resulting from inhibition by adenine of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase.
A quantitative test of Zimm's model for the rotor-speed-department sedimentation of linear DNA molecules.

In 1974, Zimm described a theory which predicts that the sedimentation coefficient of high-molecular-weight DNA will decrease as the rotor speed of measurement increases. In 1979, this theory was revised, and the new formula predicts speed-dependence effects that are substantially smaller than the predictions of the original version. This report describes the results of subjecting both the original and the revised versions of the theory to quantitative tests using a well-defined sucrose-gradient system and a DNA of known molecular weight (T4c DNA). T4c bacteriophage is a mutant, whose DNA contains the unmodified base cytosine, instead of the glucosylated hydroxymethylcytosine characteristic of the T-even bacteriophages, and has a molecular weight of 115 ± 3 × 106. The DNA of the wild-type phage (T4D+) was also used in some experiments. In addition to the quantitative tests, the experiments test for an effect first observed by Rubenstein and Leighton, which showed that the sedimentation coefficient measured for T2 DNA depended on the composition of the centrifuge tube used for the measurement (tube composition effect). It can be inferred from this observation that an interaction occurs between particle and tube wall during sedimentation, and this leads to a reduction in sedimentation velocity independent of the reduction in S described by Zimm's theory. The results show that in the range of 25,000–50,000 rpm, the original but theoretically incorrect form of the theory quite accurately describes the sedimentation behavior of both T4c and T4D+ DNA, although T4D+ was a special case in some respects. The revised (corrected) form of the theory predicts much less of a speed-dependence effect than that actually observed. The discrepancy between corrected theory and observation suggests that other factors (perhaps arising from the use of the swinging bucket rotor geometry) are causing the additional observed reduction in S20,w. However, the experiments show that the tube composition effect does not seem to be one of these.
Effects of a Naturally Occurring Polyamine on Acid Secretion by Isolated Gastric Mucosa

AbstractDetermination of the effects of spermine on acid secretion by isolated rabbit gastric mucosa shows paradoxical responses at neutral luminal pH. Initial inhibition of acid secretion was followed by a return to near basal rates. However, measurement of mucosal and serosal rates of CO2 release indicated that spermine causes prolonged inhibition of acid secretion. Similar prolonged inhibition is seen with mucosa exposed to an acidic luminal pH. The inhibitory effect of spermine is reversed by the addition of K+ to the mucosal side, suggesting spermine interferes with a K+ site at the secretory membrane. Serosal addition of spermine is without effect. The apparent acid secretory rebound phenomenon observed after the addition of spermine is most likely related to formation of H+ in the luminal bathing solution rather than proton secretion by the mucosa.
A Comparative Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Study of Physisorbed Linear Quadrupolar Molecules: C2N2 and CS2 on Au{111} at 4 K†

Submonolayer and near-monolayer coverages of cyanogen (C2N2) and carbon disulfide (CS2) were independently dosed and studied on Au{111} at 4 K. Low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy was used to investigate the intermolecular and substrate−adsorbate interactions of each of the two chemical species. Both molecules were found to be weakly physisorbed and to form incommensurate structures with respect to the Au{111} lattice. The superlattice formed by the Au{111} reconstruction was determined to have a pronounced effect on the aggregation of the adsorbates. C2N2 with a high quadrupole moment does not form an ordered structure and is easily moved by the scanning tunneling microscope tip at 4 K. In contrast, CS2, having a smaller quadrupole moment, forms a molecular herringbone lattice structure. The Au{111} reconstruction also influences the direction of the CS2 ordered domains, aligning the CS2 molecular herringbone lattice unit cell in a 3-fold symmetry. These observations are discussed in terms of t...
XML-based modeling and simulation: using XML for simulation modeling

XML represents a new way of organizing information and knowledge of the World Wide Web, using markup languages. Whereas HTML is used for presentation-specific content, XML builds upon its SGML lineage to separate content from presentation, and provide a semantic labeling for elements that comprise a document. With XML, the concept of "document" is broadened to include an encapsulation of information and knowledge, and not only a flat medium. This suggests that XML can be used for model specification and computer simulation. With this in mind, we have used XML to create two modeling specification languages: MXL and DXL. We begin by overviewing XML, discussing MXL and DXL, and then showing an example of how the languages are employed in the modeling process, and can be used with a variety of presentations.
Equilibrium points in games with vector payoffs

Abstract : The payoff of a game sometimes takes the form of a vector having components that represent amounts of different things, such as ships, men, money, etc., of which the relative values are unknown. The purpose of this paper is to define and characterize the equilibriumpoint solutions of games of this kind.
ORF66 Protein Kinase Function Is Required for T-Cell Tropism of Varicella-Zoster Virus In Vivo

Several functions have been attributed to the serine/threonine protein kinase encoded by open reading frame 66 (ORF66) of varicella-zoster virus (VZV), including modulation of the apoptosis and interferon pathways, down-regulation of major histocompatibility complex class I cell surface expression, and regulation of IE62 localization. The amino acid sequence of the ORF66 protein contains a recognizable conserved kinase domain. Point mutations were introduced into conserved protein kinase motifs to evaluate their importance to ORF66 protein functions. Two substitution mutants were generated, including a G102A substitution, which blocked autophosphorylation and altered IE62 localization, and an S250P substitution, which had no effect on either autophosphorylation or IE62 localization. Both kinase domain mutants grew to titers equivalent to recombinant parent Oka (pOka) in vitro. pOka66G102A had slightly reduced growth in skin, which was comparable to the reduction observed when ORF66 translation was prevented by stop codon insertions in pOka66S. In contrast, infection of T-cell xenografts with pOka66G102A was associated with a significant decrease in infectious virus production equivalent to the impaired T-cell tropism found with pOka66S infection of T-cell xenografts in vivo. Disrupting kinase activity with the G102A mutation did not alter IE62 cytoplasmic localization in VZV-infected T cells, suggesting that decreased T-cell tropism is due to other ORF66 protein functions. The G102A mutation reduced the antiapoptotic effects of VZV infection of T cells. These experiments indicate that the T-cell tropism of VZV depends upon intact ORF66 protein kinase function.
Single Molecule Study of the Oligomerization of Alzheimer's Aβ40 and Aβ42 on the Surface of Phospholipid Membranes

The amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides 40 and 42 are believed to feature in the synaptic dysfunction and neuronal loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease. One proposed mechanism for the synaptic loss is via the interaction between Aβ and cell surface neurotransmitters and receptors, which subsequently affect the cell signaling. Another hypothesis is that formation of calcium-permeable channels by Aβ oligomers on the membrane directly disrupts calcium homeostasis and triggers cell death. Both mechanisms are likely to involve peptide-membrane interaction where the amphipathic cell membrane provides an extensive surface for amyloid interactions and is the primarily cellular structure that Aβ contacts with. Most of our knowledge comes from experiments done at high Aβ concentration (∼μM, as compared with the nM peptide concentrations in vivo) where peptide-peptide interactions in solution might bias the real peptide-membrane interaction. Using single molecule total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, we observe single Aβ oligomers diffusing on the membrane at physiological concentration (∼4nM). Using single molecule photobleaching and fluorescence intensity to assess the oligomers’ sizes, we track individual peptide species as they diffuse in the membrane. Our studies reveal a mixture of freely diffusing and membrane-immobilized oligomers and show that the membrane accelerates Aβ dimer formation. A comparison of the membrane-bound oligomer species created by Aβ40 and Aβ42 yields information on how the two additional residues on Aβ42 affect the peptide-peptide and peptide-membrane interactions. These studies help further our understanding of the role of peptide-membrane interactions in the formation and growth of the amyloid-β oligomers that may contribute to Alzheimer’s pathology.
A comparison of radioactive waste from an experimental fast fission reactor and an experimental D-T fusion reactor

Abstract The radioactive waste produced by an experiment D-T fusion reactor (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) has been characterized. To provide a frame of reference, it has been compared to the waste produced by an experimental advanced fast fission reactor (Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II). ITER has a sixteen times higher thermal power output than EBR-II; however, each reactor represents approximately the minimum reactor size needed to establish the feasibility of its fuel cycle. Both reactors were assumed to operate on idealized self-sufficient closed fuel cycle, i.e. the actinides and the tritium generated during operation were considered as fuel and hence extracted from the remainder of the radioactive waste and recycled back to the reactor. Under this scheme, it is found that ITER will generate radioactive waste that is somewhat more hazardous in the long term than that generated by EBR-II.
The effects of dietary brussels sprouts and Schizandra chinensis on the xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes of the rat small intestine

Abstract After an initial equilibration period of 7 days on a semi-synthetic basal diet, male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed for 2 wk on either the basal diet (co O - deethylase (ECD) and epoxide hydrolase (EH) activities, and for metabolism of benzo[ a ]pyrene (B a P), Cytosols were assayed for glutathione
LITERACY AS SOCIAL PRACTICE AND CLASSROOM CHRONOTOPES

Recently, researchers in a broad range of fields have defined reading and writing as social practices. This article discusses two sets of social relations involved in reading and writing practices: (a) author‐reader social relationships, and (b) participant social relationships. Each set of social relationships has implications for issues of authority, power, social identities, definitions of knowledge, emotional relationships, and social group identity. Building on Bakhtin's (1981) construct of chronotope (time‐space relationships), this article also discusses two views of time in classroom settings that are related definitions of reading and writing as social practices: (a) time as quantity, and (b) classroom chronotopes.
Treatment of uncontrolled hypertension by therapeutic renal infarction

Certain hemodialysis patients need to be made anephric, either surgically or physiologically. Bilateral renal infarction with shredded absorbable gelatin sponge (Gelfoam) was performed on a woman with malignant hypertension being maintained on chronic center dialysis who was too great a surgical risk for bilateral nephrectomy. Peripheral embolization complicated the procedure resulting in a forefoot amputation for dry gangrene two months later. Her postinfarction peripheral plasma renins remained elevated, and she remained hypertensive but was more easily managed with fewer drugs. This technique has been successfully used by others in 1 patient with chronic renal failure and heavy proteinuria and another with hypertension and a solitary kidney. If, as in our case, postinfarction plasma renins remain elevated and hypertension persists, bilateral nephrectomy could be performed at a later date or infarction could be repeated.
Multiple nontrivial solutions of resonant and nonresonant asymptotically linear problems

On donne des conditions simples sous lesquelles un probleme aux valeurs limites elliptiques semilineaires d'ordre 2 avec la solution zero a au moins deux solutions non nulles
Coma After Global Ischemic Brain Injury: Pathophysiology and Emerging Therapies

Cardiac arrest is a major cause of death and morbidity in the United States, and neurological injury contributes significantly to this. Neurological complications associated with global cerebral ischemia include disorders of responsiveness, such as coma and the vegetative state, seizures, motor deficits, and brain death. Coma, complete unresponsiveness, is the most pervasive of these. Therapies that improve neurological outcomes in general after cardiac arrest and therapies that stimulate arousal from coma could have enormous clinical impact. The authors review the physiology of arousal and describe the biochemical and pathophysiological derangements that develop after global cerebral ischemia. We then describe the potential therapeutic mechanisms of hypothermia and deep brain stimulation, which provide hope for better neurological outcomes after global cerebral ischemia.
Retinoyl β-glucuronide: lack of binding to receptor proteins of retinoic acid as related to biological activity

Abstract Retinoid β-glucuronides have emerged as biologically active, water-soluble, natural retinoids with relatively few toxic and teratogenic effects. The mechanism of action of these glucuronides in the control of epithelial differentiation, growth, and tumorigenesis is unknown. Since retinoyl β-glucuronide (RAG) contains a free carboxyl group, we studied the interactions of RAG with cellular retinoic acid-binding protein (CRABP) and nuclear receptors of retinoic acid (RARs), the possible mediators of the biological action of retinoic acid (RA). RAG did not exhibit any significant affinity to bind either CRABP or RARs. During 24- and 48-hr incubations of RAG in chick cytosol, detectable amounts of RA were generated which interacted with the RA receptors. In chick skin, the biological activity of RAG may be due to this slowly released RA. Other possible modes of action of RAG are suggested.
Design equations of chromatography by perturbation method

Abstract A generalized methodology is developed to describe chromatography with any mass transfer models and geometric configurations. The perturbation method is used to solve the governing equations. The results of this work can be applied to liquid chromatography with truncation errors within 1% or 2%.
Time-resolved argon theta-pinch plasma properties by line ratio method with collisional-radiative model

Spectral data of a cylindrical theta-pinch pulsed inductive plasma are compared to collisional-radiative (CR) model simulations to determine time-averaged and time-resolved plasma properties. Argon data are analyzed using a CR model that includes the 14 lowest excited neutral states of argon. The model also takes into account a measure of opacity of the plasma to it's own radiation and predicts spectral line intensity ratios in the near-IR band. Because of the greater level of detail in which argon has been studied and availability of argon excited state collisional information, an extensive ratio cross-point method1 is permissible yielding both electron temperature and electron density estimates as well.
Standards for associations and alliances of the U.S. National Vegetation Classification

This article provides guidelines for the description, documentation, and review of proposals for new or revised plant associations and alliances to be recognized as units of vegetation within the U.S. National Vegetation Classification (NVC). By setting forth standards for field records, analysis, description, peer review, and archiving, the Ecological Society of America's Vegetation Classification Panel, in collaboration with the U.S. Federal Geographic Data Committee, NatureServe, and others, seeks to advance our common understanding of vegetation and improve our capability to sustain and restore natural systems. We provide definitions for the two floristic levels of the NVC hierarchy: associations and alliances. This is followed by a description of standards for field plot records and the identification and classification of vegetation types. Procedures for review and evaluation of proposed additions and revisions of types are provided, as is a structure for data archiving and dissemination. These proc...
Emerging therapeutic targets in bipolar mood disorder

Bipolar mood disorder is a chronic, severe and life-threatening psychiatric illness, whose underlying pathophysiology is still obscure. Lithium is the mainstay of treatment for this illness, with robust acute antimanic and long-term prophylactic effects. Over the past decade, valproate has been another medication shown to have possibly similar mood-stabilising properties to lithium, in double-blind controlled trials. Nonetheless, among patients suffering from bipolar disorder, a substantial percentage appears to respond poorly to currently available pharmacological therapies, including lithium, valproate, carbamazepine and other newer compounds, clearly demonstrating that there is a substantial need for improved therapeutic agents. Very significant effort has been made in the past several years to elucidate the cellular mechanisms by which lithium and valproate produce their therapeutic effects. The available evidence points to a modulatory action of these compounds over multiple neural biochemical pathwa...
Principles for organizing semantic relations in large knowledge bases

Defines principles for organizing semantic relations represented by slots in frame-structured knowledge bases. We organize slots based on the knowledge-level semantics of relations and the symbol-level function of slots that implement the representation language. The symbol-level organization of slots depends on the inferencing and expressive capabilities of the knowledge representation system. At the knowledge level, two entirely different organizational schemes are identified: one based on linguistic similarities and differences, and another based on the types of concepts being related.
High performance packaged electronics for the IBM ES9000 mainframe

An 1100 circuit bipolar gate array and a multi-chip high density glass-ceramic module are described. The chip features multiple logic circuit families built using a modular cell approach. Key features include use of a capacitor for faster ECL delays and the introduction of a 200 mV signal swing differential cascode current switch. The module offers a glass ceramic substrate featuring a dielectric constant of 5.2 and a total of 63 layers of metallization. The cooling capability has been increased to 30 W per chip. >
Cyclic AMP modifies the cellular distribution of connexin43 and induces a persistent increase in the junctional permeability of mouse mammary tumor cells.

Direct communication between cells via gap junctions is thought to be an important component of homeostasis and coordinated cellular responses to external signals. We investigated how the second messenger cAMP exerts its effects on junctional communication in a mouse mammary tumor cell line, MMT22. Junctional permeance was quantitatively assessed using dye microinjection and video microscopy. An increase of permeance was found after exposure to 8-bromo-cAMP, being detectable after 30 minutes of treatment and attaining a fourfold higher level of permeance by 24 hours. This elevated level was maintained with continuous exposure to 8-bromo-cAMP for seven days. The permeability change was accompanied by an increase in gap junctions as shown by freeze-fracture electron microscopy and by confocal microscopy using antibodies directed against the gap junction protein, connexin43. The amount of detergent-insoluble connexin43 also increased with 8-bromo-cAMP treatment, and most of the increase could be attributed to an increase of slower migrating (i.e. phosphorylated) species of connexin43. However, connexin43 mRNA and the total cellular content of connexin43 did not change over this period of exposure to 8-bromo-cAMP, as shown by densitometric analyses of northern and western blots. We conclude that 8-bromo-cAMP affects the distribution of connexin43 such that a greater proportion of the protein is utilized for channel formation. Since these changes were relatively slow to develop and persisted with prolonged exposure to 8-bromo-cAMP, it is possible that the junctional permeability of these mammary tumor cells is linked to the ‘basal’ level of cAMP, i.e. levels maintained by the cells in accordance with a particular cell state.
Effect of Weight Loss on the Growth Hormone Response to Arginine Infusion in Obesity

ABSTRACT Human growth hormone release in response to arginine infusion is blunted in obesity and inconsistent in the lean male. Plasma growth hormone levels were measured before and for 3 hr following a 30 g arginine hydrochloride infusion in 7 obese male and 5 obese female subjects. The 7 male subjects were restudied immediately after return to ideal body weight. Six female subjects were also studied following substantial weight loss. The data obtained from the obese subjects were compared to those obtained from male and female volunteers of normal weight. The growth hormone response to arginine infusion was subnormal in the obese. There was a significant increase in plasma growth hormone response to arginine following weight loss in both male and female subjects, but the growth hormone response of the partially thinned obese female subjects remained significantly less than that of the normal volunteers. Diethylstilbestrol administration improved the growth hormone response to arginine in 4 normal male v...
Topic based language models for OCR correction

Despite several decades of research in document analysis, recognition of unconstrained handwritten documents is still considered a challenging task. Previous research in this area has shown that word recognizers produce reasonably clean output when used with a restricted lexicon. But in absence of such a restricted lexicon, the output of an unconstrained handwritten word recognizer is noisy. The objective of this research is to process noisy recognizer output and eliminate spurious recognition choices using a topic based language model. We construct a topic based language model for every document using a training data which is manually categorized. A topic categorization sub-system based on Maximum Entropy model is also trained which is used to generate the topic distribution of a test document. A given test word image is processed by the recognizer and its word recognition likelihood is refined by incorporating topic distribution of the document and topic based language model probability. The proposed method is evaluated on a publicly available IAM dataset and experimental results show significant improvement in the word recognition accuracy from 32% to 40% over a test set consisting of 4033 word images extracted from 70 handwritten document images.
The robot is the program: interacting with roBlocks

The roBlocks construction kit is a tangible concurrent programming environment that encapsulates sensory, kinetic, and computational behavior in modular building block units that snap together to construct robots. The choice of a protocol for propagating values through the constructed robot affects its behavior.
The innervation of the joints of the foot.

The nerve supply of the ankle joint and of the joints of the foot was studied in dissections of fetal and adult feet and in serial sections of fetal feet stained with silver. The ankle joint was supplied by the tibial, sural, deep peroneal, and saphenous nerves, and by the accessory deep peroneal nerve when present. The tarsal joints were supplied on their plantar aspects by the medial or lateral plantar nerves, and on their dorsal aspects chiefly by the deep peroneal nerve. The joint between the lateral and intermediate cuneiform received branches from the intermediate dorsal cutaneous nerve also. The lateral dorsal cutaneous nerve and the accessory deep peroneal nerve when present provided additional branches to the subtalar and calcaneocuboid joints. The tarsometatarsal joints were supplied on their plantar aspects by the medial or lateral plantar nerves. Most of them were supplied on their dorsal aspects by the deep peroneal nerve, but the cuboid-metatarsal joints received their supply from the intermediate dorsal cutaneous nerve. The intermetatarsal joints had a similar but sparser supply. The joint between the fourth and fifth metatarsal received branches from the intermediate dorsal cutaneous nerve. The plantar digital nerves provided the main supply to the metatarsophalangeal joints. The dorsal aspect of the first metatarsophalangeal joint was supplied by the deep peroneal and the medial dorsal cutaneous nerves, of the second metatarsophalangeal joint by the deep peroneal nerve, and of the fourth and fifth metatarsophalangeal joints by the lateral dorsal cutaneous nerve. The interphalangeal joints did not receive articular branches from the dorsal digital nerves, except in the case of the interphalangeal joint of the big toe, which was supplied by the deep peroneal and the medial dorsal cutaneous nerves.
Crop Stress and Aflatoxin Contamination: Perspectives and Prevention Strategies

The fungal metabolites called aflatoxins are potent naturally occurring ­carcinogens, produced primarily by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus. A. flavus affects many agricultural crops such as maize, cotton, peanuts, and tree nuts. It can contaminate these crops with aflatoxins in the field before harvest. It is a serious concern because of its toxic and carcinogenic properties and also due to the risk of contamination in food and feed on human health and livestock. It is not only a serious food safety issue, but it has significant economic implications for the agricultural industry worldwide because of restrictions limiting the trade of contaminated crop. Host plant resistance is an effective, efficient and dependable tool to protect crops from the preharvest infection and aflatoxin contamination processes. Host plant resistance to aflatoxin contamination is a complex trait, and dissecting this trait is an equally complex task. With the technological breakthrough in genomics and next-generation sequencing, our understanding on the Aspergillus biology is greatly enhanced. This chapter aggregates the rich aflatoxin literature and focuses on the factors that cause the stress execrably and increase the aflatoxin contamination of grains before and after harvest. Further discussed are potential future prevention technology and strategies that could be employed to guide future research, such as “next-generation” genetics.