cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differential effects of nitric oxide gas and nitric oxide donors on depolarization-induced release of [3H]norepinephrine from rat hippocampal slices

Abstract The NO-generating compounds sodium nitroprusside (NP), nitroglycerin (NTG), and isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) all significantly inhibited N- methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA)-stimulated release of tritiated norepinephrine ([3H]NA) from preloaded hippocampal slices of adult male Sprague-Dawley rats with IC50 's of 114 μM, 1.2 mM, and 1.7 mM respectively. NTG and ISDN also inhibited KCl-stimulated release, while NP had no significant effect on KCl-stimulated release. Although these results suggest that the inhibitory effects of these compounds were mediated by release of NO, NTG and ISDN did not generate detectable levels of NO, and iron-cyanide complexes similar in structure to NP but lacking NO also inhibited release. In contrast, both S- nitroso -N- acetyl- d , l -penicillamine (SNAP) and authentic NO gas significantly enhanced NMDA-stimulated release of [3H]NA (EC50's: 331 and 3.4 μ M respectively). This enhancement was not selective for NMDA-stimulated release, since both SNAP and NO potentiated KCl-stimulated release as well. In addition, NO gas significantly enhanced NMDA-stimulated release of tritiated dopamine ([3H]DA) from striatal slices and [3H]NA from cortical and cerebellar slices. Analogs of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) had no significant effect on NMDA-stimulated transmitter release, suggesting that the observed increase in release is via a cGMP-independent mechanism. While exogenous NO enhanced both NMDA- and KCl-stimulated neurotransmitter release, it appears that endogenous NO does not play a role in this depolarization-induced release since NO synthase inhibitors did not significantly reduce NMDA-stimulated [3H]NA release. The possibility remains that endogenous NO could modulate neurotransmitter release in other circumstances.
Computer engineering curriculum at Oakland University

This paper describes the following main topics. The Computer Engineering Curriculum at Oakland University, A listing of the most important professional courses in the curriculum, A description of the computer engineering courses, hardware projects, laboratory assignments, equipment, and the Bachelor's degree requirements with majors in computer engineering and computer science.
A new species of Ipomoea (Convolvulaceae) from southwestern Mexico

A new species of morning glory,Ipomoea expansa, is described from Guerrero and Oaxaca, Mecico. Morphologically it is very similar toI. purga (Wender.) Hayne and other species of the subsectionEmeticae House, but it is easily distinguished by its lavender-blue corolla and dimorphic leaf morphology. The systematic implications of its discovery for the circumscription of the subsection to which it belongs is discussed.
Gender, depressive symptoms, and daily cigarette use.

Objective: It is widely known that cigarette use and depressive symptoms co-occur during adolescence and young adulthood and that there are gender differences in smoking initiation, progression, and co-occurrence with other drug use. Given that females have an earlier onset of depressive symptoms while males have an earlier onset of cigarette use, this study explored the possible bidirectional development of cigarette use and depressive symptoms by gender across the transition from adolescence to young adulthood. Gender differences in the stability and crossed effects of depressive symptoms and cigarette smoking during the transition to young adulthood, controlling for other known risk factors, were examined using a nationally representative longitudinal sample. Methods: A bivariate autoregressive multi-group structural equation model examined the longitudinal stability and crossed relationships between a latent construct of depressive symptoms and cigarette smoking over four waves of data. Data for this ...
Social class rank, essentialism, and punitive judgment.

Recent evidence suggests that perceptions of social class rank influence a variety of social cognitive tendencies, from patterns of causal attribution to moral judgment. In the present studies we tested the hypotheses that upper-class rank individuals would be more likely to endorse essentialist lay theories of social class categories (i.e., that social class is founded in genetically based, biological differences) than would lower-class rank individuals and that these beliefs would decrease support for restorative justice --which seeks to rehabilitate offenders, rather than punish unlawful action. Across studies, higher social class rank was associated with increased essentialism of social class categories (Studies 1, 2, and 4) and decreased support for restorative justice (Study 4). Moreover, manipulated essentialist beliefs decreased preferences for restorative justice (Study 3), and the association between social class rank and class-based essentialist theories was explained by the tendency to endorse beliefs in a just world (Study 2). Implications for how class-based essentialist beliefs potentially constrain social opportunity and mobility are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved)
Comparative vibrational spectroscopy of intracellular tau and extracellular collagen I reveals parallels of gelation and fibrillar structure

The N-terminal tau 2-19 peptide undergoes gelation, syneresis, and aggregation over a period of years. These changes may be approximated on a shorter time scale by agitation and partial dehydration. The anomalously enhanced (229 nm) ultraviolet resonance Raman (UVRR) imide II band reveals a common structural feature for gels of nondehydrated tau 2-19 and collagen I and insoluble paired helical filaments (PHFs) and collagen I of weak hydrogen bonding at proline carbonyls. Anomalous UVRR enhancement of amide bands at 229 nm results from gel structure, as demonstrated by increased amide absorption at the red edge for tau 2-19 gel and implies the involvement of water in gel structure. In aged, dehydrated tau 2-19 gel, proline carbonyls lose their bonds to water and tyrosine becomes deprotonated, as demonstrated by UVRR spectroscopy. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) amide I band shows that antiparallel beta-sheet structure increases with syneresis in the tau 2-19 hydrogel. The comparison of FTIR results for PHFs with collagen I gel and polyproline demonstrates that the secondary structure of PHFs is polyproline II. One implication of this assignment is that the fibrillation of hydrophilic tau is thermodynamically driven by the entropy gained as hydrogen-bonded water is freed, as for collagen I. The FTIR results also show that peptide domains culled from a longer protein do not necessarily fold into identical secondary structures. A pathological, sequential mechanism of gelation, syneresis, and fibrillation for tau in AD is suggested and is supported by the observation of amorphous neurofibrillary tangle development and fibrillation in vivo.
Cyclic electrowinning/precipitation (CEP) system for the removal of heavy metal mixtures from aqueous solutions

The description and operation of a novel cyclic electrowinning/precipitation (CEP) system for the simultaneous removal of mixtures of heavy metals from aqueous solutions are presented. CEP combines the advantages of electrowinning in a spouted particulate electrode (SPE) with that of chemical precipitation and redissolution, to remove heavy metals at low concentrations as solid metal deposits on particulate cathode particles without exporting toxic metal precipitate sludges from the process. The overall result is very large volume reduction of the heavy metal contaminants as a solid metal deposit on particles that can either be safely discarded as such, or further processed to recover particular metals. The performance of this system is demonstrated with data on the removal of mixtures of copper, nickel, and cadmium from aqueous solutions.
Evaluating Consumer-Oriented Web Sites for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Consumers and healthcare professionals need to exercise caution when seeking health care information of any type on the Web, but they need to exercise even greater caution when seeking nonstandard medical advice through complementary and alternative medical (CAM) web sites. The Health on the Net (HON) Foundation certifies web sites, but CAM information seekers need to engage in their own critical appraisals in addition to seeking out sites which enjoy HON certification. The web sites of the University of Maryland Medical Center, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and the Mayo Clinic are evaluated as sources of information about CAM.
Use of Non-Thermal Atmospheric Pressure Plasma for Air Cleaning and Sterilization

Summary form only given. Drexel Plasma Institute has several plasma systems for air cleaning and sterilization. High-volume pulsed corona discharge system has been developed as a core of the mobile pilot plant to demonstrate promising technology for treatment of high volume low concentration (HVLC) industrial ventilation streams contaminated by volatile organic compounds (VOC). Gas phase organic compounds can be destroyed by oxidation to carbon dioxide and water. The effective way of oxidizing organics is to use highly reactive species, i.e. reactants with a high oxidizing potential, such as -OH, -O, -H, O3, and H2O2. The hydroxyl radical is especially known to play an important role in oxidative purification and degradation of organic compounds. In non-thermal plasma, radicals, ions and other active species, which oxidize, reduce or decompose the pollutant molecules, are efficiently produced mainly via electron-impact dissociation, excitation and ionization of the background gas. For the compounds of interest in this project (methanol, acetone, dimethyl sulfide and alpha-pinene), high removal efficiencies were obtained with power levels competitive with the present technologies for the VOCs removal. The pilot plant can treat up to 350 m3/h of air. Experiments with the pilot plant were made with average plasma power up to 3.5 kW. Different designs of the laboratory and pilot plant pulsed coronas, as well as different analytical methods revealed many new peculiarities of the VOC abatement process. The experimental results for the removal efficiency will be presented with respect to energy consumption, residence time, water effect and initial concentration. In addition, generation of organic by-products which are hardly removable by plasma will be discussed. Non-thermal plasma of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and gliding arc (GA) is being used as an innovative method to sterilize indoor air in the event of a chemical or biological terrorist attack. We have constructed a special pathogen detection and remediation facility (PDRF) for handling and processing bacterial and viral bio-aerosols and begun physiochemical modeling to understand and predict plasma's decontamination effectiveness under the most extreme biological attack scenarios imaginable. PDRF was designed for operation with multiple changeable plasma devices, and two of them - DBD and magnetically rotated GA are put in operation already. Physiochemical modeling of plasma sterilization from airborne microorganisms is a relatively new concept and can provide us with a better understanding of destruction mechanisms of various microorganisms allowing a more efficient plasma reactor design
Reproductive Hormones and the Menopause Transition

The hormonal correlates of reproductive aging and the menopause transition reflect an initial loss of the follicle cohort, while a responsive ovary remains, and an eventual complete loss of follicle response, with persistent hypergonadotropic amenorrhea. The physiology of the process is described, along with key findings of relevant studies, with an emphasis on the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. A clinical framework is provided to help clinicians to forecast the major milestones of the menopausal transition and to predict potential symptoms or disease.
Prediction of strain recovery during solid‐phase forming of thermoplastics

An approach to predict the strain recovery behavior of polycarbonate (PC) and high impact polystyrene (HIPS) under isothermal and non-isothermal conditions in a solid-phase forming environment is presented in this paper. The constants A and n of a power law relationship of the form ϵ(t) or δ(t) = Atn, fitted to isothermal creep and stress relaxation data, were determined over a wide range of temperatures for both materials. An expression for isothermal recovery was derived and compared to experimental data. Master curves and the resultant shift factors, obtained by superposing the stress relaxation and creep data (both in tension and compression) were used with the time-temperature super position principle to numerically evaluate uniaxial strain recovery under a specific temperature history. The average temperature history obtained by numerically solving for the temperature distribution in a disc, at an initially high temperature and in contact with a cold metal surface, was used for the non-isothermal case. The theoretical results were compared with recovery data obtained from non-isothermal backward extrusion tests with a temperature history similar to the one described above. Reasonably good agreement was obtained.
Marketing Accountability: Defining Expectations and Measuring Outcomes

This paper calls for work that focuses on the relationships of marketing activities and outcomes and measures of the financial performance of the firm. More specifically, the paper suggests the need to link marketing outcomes to the cash flow of the firm and the business model that generates the cash flow. The paper also calls for greater alignment of measures of marketing accountability with expectations and responsibilities of the marketing organization.
Microtwinning in Template-Synthesized Single-Crystal Metal Nanowires

Twinning is one of the most popular planar defects in nanocrystals, and it is frequently observed in facecentered cubic (fcc) structured metallic nanocrystals. In this study, copper, silver, and gold nanowires with diameters of 30-50 nm were prepared by electrochemical deposition in “track-etched” polycarbonate membranes. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and electron diffraction were used to study the microstructure of the nanowires. Microtwins were observed to be dependent on growth orientation in the single-crystal metal (copper, silver, and gold) nanowires. In single-crystal nanowires with a [111] growth orientation, both primary (111)[112 h] and secondary (1 h11)[112] twins were observed, whereas in the wires with a [112 h] growth orientation, lengthwise twins and stacking faults were the dominant features. No twinning was observed in nanowires that grew along the [100] and [110] directions. The crystallography of the twins was characterized by HRTEM and electron microdiffraction. The twinning mechanism (nucleation and growth) is discussed in relation to a two-dimensional (2D) nucleation and growth mechanism for the single-crystal nanowires.
Comparison of calculational methods for straggling in thin absorbers

The solution of the transport equation by the Laplace-transform method, introduced by Landau and modified by Vavilov and others, is compared with the solution of that equation by what we term a convolution method. An energy-loss cross section determined for solid aluminum has been used as input to the calculations. For very small values of absorber thickness, the straggling distribution is dominated by peaks at multiples of the Al plasmon frequency. At intermediate values, these peaks are a small structure superimposed on a broad energy-loss distribution which is not described well by any of the Laplace-transform theories. At larger values, the straggling distribution consists of one peak which is well described by the Vavilov theory.
Variational tight-binding theory of excitons in compositionally modified semiconductor superlattices

Abstract We present results for the binding energy of an exciton formed when an electron–hole pair is photoexcited within a single, compositionally modified layer of a semiconductor superlattice, for example by adding a small percentage of In atoms to a single GaAs layer of a GaAs/AlGaAs system. Such a system could serve as the basis for spatially-selective photoexcitation, a process whereby a laser pulse would create electron–heavy-hole pairs exclusively in the modified layer. We first derive an effective one-dimensional (1D) Hamiltonian for an electron, by averaging the 3D electron–hole Hamiltonian using a one-parameter trial wavefunction, which is dependent on the in-plane relative coordinates, as well as a normalized Wannier orbital for a single hole. The exciton binding energy is then obtained by computing the lowest bound-state energy of the effective 1D electron Hamiltonian in the nearest-neighbor tight-binding approximation. As a demonstration of the effectiveness of our approach, we find that for periodic superlattices our results for the exciton binding energy are in very good agreement both with experiment and the results of other theoretical calculations.
Disparities in the medical examination of children in the home of a child with suspected physical abuse.

Identifies factors associated with medical examination of a contact child after a report of suspected physical abuse in an index child. Reviews all index children reported for suspected physical abuse from the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh (CHP) and all contact children identified and examined in the course of the evaluation of the index child. Contact children under 2 years of age had the highest odds of undergoing medical examination following a possible abuse exposure, with black children over-represented. Disparities in suspicion of child abuse based on racial and social factors was not hypothesised, but is consistent with prior research. Surprisingly, the results found no association between hospitalization of the index child and medical examination of contact children.
Ureteroscopic or extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy for distal ureteral stones in children?

Ureteroscopic or extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy for distal ureteral stones in children?
Nurses’ perceptions of communication training in the ICU

Summary Objective To describe the experience and perceptions of nurse study participants regarding a communication intervention (training and communication tools) for use with nonspeaking, critically ill patients. Research methodology/design Small focus groups and an individual interview were conducted with six critical care nurses. Transcripts were analysed using qualitative content analysis and constant comparison. Setting Two ICUs within a large, metropolitan medical centre in western Pennsylvania, United States of America. Main outcome measures Critical care nurses’ evaluations of (1) a basic communication skills training programme (BCST) and (2) augmentative and alternative communication strategies (AAC) introduced during their study participation. Results Six main categories were identified in the data: (1) communication value/perceived competence; (2) communication intention; (3) benefits of training; (4) barriers to implementation; (5) preferences/utilisation of strategies; and 6) leading-following. Perceived value of and individual competence in communication with nonspeaking patients varied. Nurses prioritised communication about physical needs, but recognised complexity of other intended patient messages. Nurses evaluated the BCST as helpful in reinforcing basic communication strategies and found several new strategies effective. Advanced strategies received mixed reviews. Primary barriers to practise integration included patients’ mental status, time constraints, and the small proportion of nurses trained or knowledgeable about best patient communication practices in the ICU. Conclusions The results suggest that the communication skills training programme could be valuable in reinforcing basic/intuitive communication strategies, assisting in the acquisition of new skills and ensuring communication supply availability. Practice integration will most likely require unit-wide interdisciplinary dissemination, expert modelling and reinforcement.
Prolonged therapy with cabazitaxel in an octogenarian with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

In the phase III TROPIC trial, cabazitaxel in combination with prednisone was compared to mitoxantrone with prednisone in patients with metastatic castration-resistant disease (mCRPC) that had received previous therapy with docetaxel. Cabazitaxel therapy was associated with an improvement in overall survival (the primary endpoint of the study), leading to its FDA approval for use in this setting. Although cabazitaxel was the first agent approved in the post-docetaxel space, several other agents have entered (or are probably soon to enter) the therapeutic armamentarium, including abiraterone, MDV3100, and radium-223. As such, the oncologist is faced with the issue of balancing the risks and benefits of diverse therapies in this setting in the absence of comparative data. Although the difficulties associated with cytotoxic therapy may cause both the patient and physician to delay use of cabazitaxel after docetaxel, we present a case to illustrate that the agent can be well tolerated and efficacious even in the very elderly. Our patient, an octogenarian with mCRPC and evidence of progression after 10 cycles of docetaxel, has tolerated 24 cycles of cabazitaxel to date with disease stabilization and minimal toxicity. Herein, we discuss considerations in selecting appropriate post-docetaxel therapies in an increasingly complex therapeutic landscape.
Instrumented Charpy impact tests of several unidirectional composite materials

Four unidirectionally-reinforced composite materials—graphite/epoxy, glass/epoxy, Kevlar 49/epoxy and nylon/epoxy—were impact tested in both the longitudinal and transverse directions, using both unnotched and notched Charpy impact specimen configurations. The value of the instrumented impact test technique in characterising the dynamic response of a unidirectional composite was clearly demonstrated. It was shown that the unidirectional composites tested were relatively insensitive to the presence of a notch in terms of all properties measured except energy to peak load. A number of instrumented impact load-time and energy-time traces and photographs of the corresponding failed impact specimens are included, along with scanning electron microscopy photographs of selected fracture surfaces. The static mechanical properties and physical characteristics of the specific materials utilised are also presented for comparison.
Predicting population dynamics of the parasitoid Cotesia marginiventris (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) resulting from novel interactions of temperature and selenium

Abstract Changes in trophic level interactions due to global climate change and the increasing occurrence of pollution are likely to have consequences for natural enemies. Specifically, information regarding the effects of these factors on insect parasitoids is relatively sparse. We examined the individual and joint effects of temperature and the pollutant selenium on the fitness correlates of the parasitoid wasp Cotesia marginiventris (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), parasitizing Spodoptera exigua (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Our specific objective was to determine in a factorial experiment how three temperatures (constant 28.6°C, constant 33°C and a fluctuating temperature between 28.6 and 33°C) and three concentrations of seleno-dl-methionine (0.00, 21.21, and 42.42 µg/g) affected the parasitoid's fitness and life history. Parasitoids failed to complete development at the constant 33°C, but developed significantly faster at the fluctuating temperature compared to the constant 28.6°C. There we...
Establishment of proliferating human epithelial cells in vitro from cell suspensions of neonatal foreskin

Z The following procedure has been successfully applied to many different human tissues. Tissue samples are obtained from cooperating hospitals. Using the collection techniques described here, we can retain excellent viability from 96 hr up to 5 days (postcollection) depending on the tissue of choice and source of tissues. The use of this procedure permits the establishment of epithelial cell cultures from cell suspensions not requiring explant growth or the addition of extrinsic modulating growth factors. Moreover, epithelial cell colonies can be produced at a low density or high densi ty directly from the cell suspension.
Hierarchy of simulation approaches for hot carrier transport in deep submicron devices

Rapid advances in integrated circuit technology are pushing the size of semiconductor devices into the deep submicron range. The traditional simulation approaches based on simplified transport equations are not adequate to capture the behaviour of high-energy carriers that are responsible for nonlinear transport behaviour and reliability problems. This brief review examines the complete hierarchy of device simulation approaches and analyses the capabilities and limitations of the various approaches that are available today.
Parent perceptions of the language development of toddlers with developmental delays before and after participation in parent-coached language interventions.

Purpose This study examined parent perception of early communication development before and after participation in language intervention. Method Fifty-three parents of toddlers with developmental d...
Particles resembling microbodies in normal and neoplastic perianal glands of dogs.

By electron microscopy, the parenchymal cells of the perianal glands of dogs contain granules which have the morphological features of microbodies (peroxisomes) including marginal plates and, occasionally, dense nucleoids. Like microbodies, they are occasionally attached to the endoplasmic reticulum. Histochemical evidence is presented suggesting that they contain at least one of the peroxisomal enzymes, L-α-hydroxy acid oxidase. The granules of a perianal gland adenoma showed abnormal morphologic variations.
The assaultive psychiatric patient.

In the light of rather widespread aggressive feelings and frequently poor controls among psychiatrically hospitalized patients, the number of serious assaults and even “incidents” is remarkably low. Nevertheless, there is an indisputable need for institutions to put the same kind of effort into identifying cases calling for “Violence Precautions” as has always obtained with regard to “Suicide Precautions.”
Tests for positive selection on immune and reproductive genes in closely related species of the murine genus mus

We examine variation among species of Mus in four genes involved in reproduction and the immune response for evidence of positive selection: the sperm recognition gene Zp-3, the testis-determining locus Sry, the testicular cell surface matrix protein Tcp-1, and the immune system protein beta(2) m. We use likelihood ratio tests in the context of a well-supported phylogeny to determine whether models that allow for positively selected sites fit the sequences better than models that assume purifying selection. We then apply a Bayesian approach to identify particular sites in each gene that have a high posterior probability of being under positive selection. We find no evidence of positive selection on the Tcp-1 gene, but for Zp-3, Sry, and beta(2) m, models that allow for positively selected sites fit the sequences better than alternatives. For each of these genes, we identify sites that have a high (> 95%) posterior probability of being positively selected. For Zp-3, two of these sites occur near the sperm-binding region, while one occurs in a region whose functional role remains unstudied but where the pattern of change predicts functional importance. A single site in Sry shows an elevated rate of replacement substitution but occurs in a region of apparently little functional importance; therefore, relaxation of functional constraints may better explain the rapid evolution of this site. Three sites in beta(2) m have a posterior probability > 50% of being under positive selection. While the functional role for two of these sites is unknown, the third is known to influence the ability of MHC class I molecules to present antigens to the immune system; therefore, the elevated rate of replacement substitutions at this site is consistent with selection acting to promote variability in immune system proteins.
Relationship between the solubility parameter of polymers and the clay dispersion in polymer/clay nanocomposites and the role of the surfactant

Nanocomposites were prepared of polymers having different solubility parameters and pristine or organically modified clays, and the dispersion of clay in the polymer was evaluated using X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The solubility parameters of both the polymers and surfactants of interest were calculated according to the group contribution method and correlated with the clay morphology. A close relationship between the solubility parameter of the polymer and the clay morphology was observed. The clay has a very polar group, so the higher is the solubility parameter of the polymer, the larger is the d spacing of the clay that can be achieved. This can explain why in-situ polymerization shows better dispersion than does melt-blending. It appears that the modification of the surfactants is less important than modification of the polymer. However, an enlarged d spacing by the surfactant enables the insertion of the monomer into the gallery space by in-situ polymerization and allows ...
Sharp simultaneous confidence intervals for the means of selected populations with application to microarray data analysis.

Simultaneous inference for a large number, N, of parameters is a challenge. In some situations, such as microarray experiments, researchers are only interested in making inference for the K parameters corresponding to the K most extreme estimates. Hence it seems important to construct simultaneous confidence intervals for these K parameters. The naive simultaneous confidence intervals for the K means (applied directly without taking into account the selection) have low coverage probabilities. We take an empirical Bayes approach (or an approach based on the random effect model) to construct simultaneous confidence intervals with good coverage probabilities. For N = 10,000 and K = 100, typical for microarray data, our confidence intervals could be 77% shorter than the naive K-dimensional simultaneous intervals.
The breastfeeding surgical patient.

ABSTRACT IN THE UNITED STATES, more than 10 million women are either pregnant or breastfeeding at any given time. Of the women currently pregnant, over 70% will initially choose to breastfeed. THE NEEDS OF A BREASTFEEDING surgical patient are unique and are best met by a supportive surgical team using evidenced-based practice. The outcomes of such care will have long-term effects on both the breastfeeding surgical patient and her infant. EVIDENCED-BASED PRACTICE resources for care of the breastfeeding surgical patient are scarce. This article applies available resources to the perioperative care of the breastfeeding surgical patient. AORN J 87 (April 2008) 759–766. © AORN, Inc, 2008.
THE EFFECTS OF CARRIER TRAPPING IN SEMICONDUCTOR GAMMA-RAY SPECTROMETERS.

Abstract Currently accepted theories predicting the effects of carrier trapping on the spectrum from semiconductor gamma-ray spectrometers are reviewed. The physical models used in these theories are re-examined and a new theory is presented which predicts quite different effects.
Microsomal 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase of guinea pig liver: Substrate and inhibitor specificity and effects of pH on steroid-enzyme interaction☆

Abstract Various C18 and C19 steroids and some nonsteroidal compounds were assayed at pH 9.0 as substrates or inhibitors of microsomal 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase of guinea pig liver. C18 and C19 steroids with a 17β-hydroxyl group had Michaelis constants (Km) or inhibition constants (Ki), competitive with testosterone, of 5.8 to 59.0 μ m . Initial velocity estimates as a function of substrate concentration with combined substrates indicated that both C18 and C19 steroids were bound at the same active site. When pH was varied the Km values for testosterone and 19-nortestosterone increased below pH 7.5 while the Km for NAD+ and the Ki for androstenedione were relatively unchanged. Based on the reactivity of both C18 and C19 17β-hydroxysteroids as substrates and the lack of reactivity of cyclopentanol and cyclohexanol as substrates as well as their low affinities as inhibitors, it is proposed that the geometry of the steroid binding site is such as to allow for compounds such as C18 and C19 17β-hydroxysteroids to bind but that a minimum size is required for tight binding, consistent with previous observations on human placental 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and estrogen receptor. And, as with these latter proteins, the presence of a hydroxyl group at C(17) appears to influence the mode of steroid recognition.
Use of the Coombs Elimination Procedure in Classroom Tests

AbstractThe effectiveness of the Coombs elimination procedure was evaluated with 29 college students enrolled in a statistics course. Five multiple-choice tests were employed and scored using the Coombs procedure. Specifically, students were instructed to mark incorrect rather than correct options and were informed about the scoring method, which discourages guessing. Four indices of performance were calculated to obtain specific indicants of guessing and partial knowledge. Simulated scores were calculated for each test as if the questions were administered using standard procedures. The results suggest that the Coombs procedure decreased guessing, and this effect increased over the grading period. Decreased guessing may account for modest gains in reliability in comparison to reliability of a standard test; however, the decrease from the first to final exam did not improve reliability.
A modular approach to trans-chelating, N-heterocyclic carbene ligand complexes

The N-methyl bis-imidazolium salts 3 were converted to the silver carbenes 7, then reacted to give palladium(II) complexes 4 with trans-chelating, bidentate bis-imidazolylidine ligands. The similar salts 8, that do not have N-methyl substituents, gave the tetradentate complexes 9 in direct reactions with palladium chloride. The potential of these complexes for asymmetric catalysis is discussed.
Optimal Control for Spacecraft to Rendezvous with a Tumbling Satellite in a Close Range

One of the most challenging tasks for satellite on-orbit on-orbit on-orbit servicing is to rendezvous and capture a non-cooperative satellite such as a tumbling satellite. This paper presents an optimal control strategy for a servicing spacecraft to rendezvous (in close range) with a tumbling satellite. The strategy is to find an optimal trajectory which will guide the servicing spacecraft to approach the tumbling satellite such that the two vehicles will eventually have no relative rotation. Therefore, a subsequent docking or capture operation can be safely performed. Pontryagin's maximum principle is applied in generation of the optimal approaching trajectory and the corresponding set of control force/torque profiles. A planar satellite chasing problem is presented as a case study, in which together with the maximum principle, the Lie algebras associated with the system are used to examine the existence of singular extremals for optimal control. Optimal trajectories for minimum fuel consumption are numerically simulated.
The modulation of rat hippocampal synaptic conductances by baclofen and gamma‐aminobutyric acid.

1. We examined the effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and baclofen on pre- and postsynaptic membrane conductances in dissociated rat hippocampal cells. Both GABA (5 microM with 10 microM-bicuculline) and baclofen (50 microM) caused small but significant increases in membrane conductance that were blocked by 2-hydroxysaclofen (100 microM), a GABAB receptor antagonist. This increase in membrane conductance seems to be mediated by GABAB receptors. 2. At a low concentration of GABA (1 microM) which has a very small direct postsynaptic effect on GABAA receptors, no postsynaptic GABAB effect was detected. However, at this concentration, GABA near maximally attenuated both excitatory and inhibitory synaptic currents. This GABA effect on transmitter release was significantly attenuated by 2-hydroxysaclofen. 3. Baclofen was also more potent in attenuating the inhibitory synaptic conductance than increasing postsynaptic conductance. Concentrations below 1 microM diminished synaptic currents by greater than 50%. At these low baclofen concentrations 2-hydroxysaclofen significantly attenuated baclofen's reduction of synaptic currents. 4. The effects of GABA and baclofen on synaptic conductances were blocked by pretreating the cultures with pertussis toxin, suggesting that a GTP-associated protein, Gi or Go is responsible for reducing transmitter release. 5. Despite the ability of GABA to diminish inhibitory synaptic currents through GABAB receptor activation, we observed no effect of 2-hydroxysaclofen on paired-pulse depression. Therefore, these presynaptic GABAB receptors may not be true 'autoreceptors'. 6. Our findings indicate that in culture, at least, the presynaptic GABAB effect responsible for synaptic modulation has a pharmacological profile similar to the postsynaptic GABAB effect. At present, it is unnecessary to postulate two different types of GABAB receptors.
Alterations in cardiovascular structure and function with advancing age

The greatest difficulty in studying the effects of aging on cardiovascular structure and function lies in separating the effects of aging itself from those of the inextricably entwined disease processes and life-style changes that accompany aging. Age-related stiffening of the arterial tree results in an increased systolic blood pressure, which appears to impose a greater load on the heart. Probably as an adaptive mechanism to maintain normal wall stress, a modest age-associated concentric left ventricular hypertrophy develops, which approximates 30% between ages 25 and 80. The decrease in mitral valve E-F slope and increase in the left atrial dimension, which are seen with advancing age, may be construed as the consequences of a thicker-walled, less compliant left ventricle. Systolic left ventricular function, measured at rest either by echocardiography or radionuclide techniques, is unaffected by aging. Aerobic exercise capacity, whether measured as total work performance or maximal oxygen consumption declines with age, although in subjects who maintain a high level of physical activity, the decline appears to be approximately half of the 10% per decade decrease seen in sedentary persons. An age-related decline in maximal exercise heart rate has been a universal finding. Although several studies over the past 4 decades have found cardiac output to decrease with age, both at rest and during exercise, a recent study of subjects carefully screened to exclude latent coronary artery disease found no such decline in cardiac output. In these subjects, the age-related decline in maximal heart rate and systolic emptying at peak exercise was offset by an increased utilization of the Frank-Starling mechanism. An attractive hypothesis for explaining the hemodynamic profile of a decreased maximum heart rate, increased preload and decrease in ejection fraction at maximal effort, despite elevated norepinephrine levels, is an age-associated, diminished end-organ responsiveness similar to beta-adrenergic blockade.
Mediatized projects at State peripheries

Abstract The articles in this volume discuss identity projects that unfold through the communicative activities of organizational employees (journalists, teachers, lawyers, etc.). These activities are organized in each case by specific protocols of communication whereby categories of personnel (or organizational wage-labor) describe and address target populations through emblems linking specific languages and cultures to each other, to those they address, and to populations elsewhere. The localespecific vividness of these emblems and their indexical selectivity for target populations (whose purposes they appear to serve) tend to obscure the mediatized practices that give rise to them, and the uptake formulations that recycle them.
Activin Signaling: Effects on Body Composition and Mitochondrial Energy Metabolism

Activin-βA and activin-βB (encoded by Inhba and Inhbb genes, respectively) are closely related TGF-β superfamily members that participate in a variety of biological processes. We previously generated mice with an insertion allele at the Inhba locus, InhbaBK. In this allele, the sequence encoding the Inhba mature domain is replaced with that of Inhbb, rendering the gene product functionally hypomorphic. Homozygous (InhbaBK/BK) and hemizygous (InhbaBK/−) mice are smaller and leaner than their wild-type littermates, and many tissues are disproportionately small relative to total body weight. To determine the mechanisms that contribute to these phenomena, we investigated the metabolic consequences of the mutation. Although the growth of InhbaBK mice is improved by providing a calorie-rich diet, diet-induced obesity, fatty liver, and insulin resistance (hallmarks of chronic caloric excess) do not develop, despite greater caloric intake than wild-type controls. Physiological, molecular, and biochemical analyses all revealed characteristics that are commonly associated with increased mitochondrial energy metabolism, with a corresponding up-regulation of several genes that reflect enhanced mitochondrial biogenesis and function. Oxygen consumption, an indirect measure of the metabolic rate, was markedly increased in InhbaBK/BK mice, and polarographic analysis of liver mitochondria revealed an increase in ADP-independent oxygen consumption, consistent with constitutive uncoupling of the inner mitochondrial membrane. These findings establish a functional relationship between activin signaling and mitochondrial energy metabolism and further support the rationale to target this signaling pathway for the medical treatment of cachexia, obesity, and diabetes.
Power system state estimation using an iteratively reweighted least squares method for sequential L1-regression

Abstract This paper presents an implementation of the least absolute value (LAV) power system state estimator based on obtaining a sequence of solutions to the L 1 -regression problem using an iteratively reweighted least squares (IRLS L1 ) method. The proposed implementation avoids reformulating the regression problem into standard linear programming (LP) form and consequently does not require the use of common methods of LP, such as those based on the simplex method or interior-point methods. It is shown that the IRLS L1 method is equivalent to solving a sequence of linear weighted least squares (LS) problems. Thus, its implementation presents little additional effort since the sparse LS solver is common to existing LS state estimators. Studies on the termination criteria of the IRLS L1 method have been carried out to determine a procedure for which the proposed estimator is more computationally efficient than a previously proposed non-linear iteratively reweighted least squares (IRLS) estimator. Indeed, it is revealed that the proposed method is a generalization of the previously reported IRLS estimator, but is based on more rigorous theory.
An experimental study of hyperchromic nerve cells in the cerebral cortex.

Abstract An attempt was made to study the cytology and synaptic relations of dark or hyperchromic cells in a primary and secondary epileptogenic lesion. Epileptogenic agents (alumina cream—penicillin, dry ice and ethyl chloride) were used to produce lesions in rabbits. Hyperchromic cells which had been reported to develop as a consequence of high levels of synaptic activation and to be restricted to the site of the lesion were found in large numbers in all cortical areas of brains which were removed immediately after perfusion. Further experiments with abrasion or cut-type lesions at various times before and after perfusion indicated that hyperchromic cells can be produced by mechanical trauma to the cortex after short periods of fixation, or while the animal is still alive. No evidence was seen to indicate that hyperchromic cells specifically develop as a consequence of procedures known to produce epileptic lesions.
High-protein intake enhances the positive impact of physical activity on BMC in prepubertal boys.

In 232 healthy prepubertal boys, increased physical activity was associated with greater BMC at both axial and appendicular sites under high-protein intake. Introduction: Physical activity is an important lifestyle determinant of bone mineral mass acquisition. Its impact during childhood can be modulated by nutrition, particularly by protein and calcium intakes. We analyzed the relationship between physical activity levels and protein compared with calcium intake on BMC. Materials and Methods: In 232 healthy prepubertal boys (age: 7.4 ± 0.4 [SD] yr; standing height: 125.7 ± 5.9 cm; body weight: 25.3 ± 4.6 kg), physical activity and protein and calcium intakes were recorded. BMC was measured by DXA at the radial metaphysis, radial diaphysis, total radius, femoral neck, total hip, femoral diaphysis, and L2-L4 vertebrae. Results: In univariate analysis, the correlation coefficients r with BMC of the various skeletal sites were as follows: physical activity, from 0.26 (p = 0.0001) to 0.40 (p = 0.0001); protein intake, from 0.18 (p = 0.005) to 0.27 (p = 0.0001); calcium intake, from 0.09 (p = 0.181) to 0.17 (p = 0.007). By multiple regression analysis, the β-adjusted values remained correlated with BMC, ranging as follows: physical activity, from 0.219 (p = 0.0007) to 0.340 (p < 0.0001); protein intake, from 0.120 (p = 0.146) to 0.217 (p = 0.009). In contrast, it was not correlated for calcium intake: from −0.069 (p = 0.410) to 0.001 (p = 0.986). With protein intake (mean = 2.0 g/kg body weight/d) above the median, increased physical activity from 168 to 321 kcal/d was associated with greater mean BMC Z-score (+0.6, p = 0.0005). In contrast with protein intake (mean = 1.5 g/kg body weight/d) below the median, increased physical activity from 167 to 312 kcal/d was not associated with a significantly greater mean BMC Z-score (+0.2, p = 0.371). The interaction between physical activity and protein intake was close to statistical significance for mean BMC Z-score (p = 0.055) and significant for femoral neck BMC (p = 0.012). In keeping with the results derived from multiple regression analysis, the increased physical activity on mean BMC Z-score was not influenced by difference in calcium intake above (mean = 945 mg/d) and below (mean = 555 mg/d) the median. Conclusion: In healthy prepubertal boys, the impact in increased physical activity on BMC seems to be enhanced by protein intake within limits above the usual recommended allowance.
Balanced Boolean functions

Many common logic circuits such as adders, parity checkers and multiplexers realise Boolean functions that are true for exactly half their input combinations, and false for the other half; we refer to such functions as balanced. Recently, these functions have been shown to be very useful for testing logic circuits, and for data encryption in cryptography. Here, we present a general theory of balanced Boolean functions. We derive a necessary and sufficient condition for balance by establishing an equivalence between a balanced function f(X) and a bijection from X to itself. We then analyse the conditions under which functional compositions preserve balance, and examine some specific balance-preserving decompositions. A new characterisation of functional completeness in terms of balance is presented. Finally, we address the problem of counting equivalence classes of balanced functions.