cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ultrastructural localization of the corticotropin-releasing factor-binding protein in rat brain and pituitary.

Preembedding immunoperoxidase staining methods were used to permit ultrastructural analyses of the distribution in rat brain and pituitary of the corticotropin-releasing factor–binding protein (CRF-BP), a moiety distinct from CRF receptors, but which is nonetheless capable of binding the peptide and reversibly neutralizing its biological actions. In anterior pituitary, CRF-BP immunoreactivity (ir) was detected in corticotropelike cells, with reaction product associated principally with secondary lysosomes and multivesicular bodies and not at all with secretory granules. In brain, marked regional differences in the subcellular pattern of CRF-BP staining were evident. In isocortex, where BP/peptide colocalization is rare, BP-ir was distributed in cells and processes in a manner similar to that of a prototypic neuropeptide, including in terminals commonly engaging in synaptic contacts with unlabeled dendritic profiles. In the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, a site that contains overlapping accumulations of CRF-BP-ir projections and CRF-ir perikarya, BP staining was restricted to vesicle-laden varicosities that rarely engaged in synaptic contacts with somatic or dendritic elements but were frequently apposed to unlabeled axon varicosities and terminals. In the ventromedial medulla, a site of partial CRF/BP overlap, most cells displayed a subcellular localization CRF-BP-ir like that seen in cortex, whereas in others the distribution shared similarities with that observed in pituitary. The results suggest that the function of the CRF-BP may differ in different cellular contexts. In cellular targets of CRF or in neurons in which peptide and BP coexist, the CRF-BP may play a role in processing and degradation of CRF and/or ligand–receptor complexes. In other areas of the central nervous system, the BP seems positioned to serve as a transmitter/modulator at conventional synapses or as an autocrine or paracrine modulator of local CRF effects. J. Comp. Neurol. 413:241–254, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A field test of the Cougar Home Safety Assessment (version 2.0) in the homes of older persons living alone

Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop and field test the Cougar Home Safety Assessment version 2.0 (Cougar 2.0). Method: First, the Cougar 2.0 was adapted and developed from the Cougar 1.0 — a tool made for a prior study. The Cougar 2.0 was then field tested in the residences of 44 older adults who lived alone. Additionally, the residents and a panel of occupational therapy home care specialists completed questionnaires about the assessment. Results: A number of concerning safety hazards were identified. An overall mean safety score of 89% was obtained. Fire risk criteria were the most unsafe. Favourable face validity feedback was obtained. Conclusion: There is a need for occupational therapy home safety assessment for older people who live alone. The Cougar 2.0 appears to be a valid tool in this regard. The Cougar Home Safety Assessment series is available at: http://www.misericordia.edu/misericordia_pg_sub.cfm?sub_page_id=935&subcat_id=108&page_id=338
Performance of Parallel Implementations of an Explicit Finite-Volume Shallow-Water Model

Explicit total variation diminishing finite-volume schemes are being adopted on a widespread basis for the solution of depth-averaged hydrodynamic equations. Explicit schemes are constrained by the Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy condition for stability purposes, and therefore require use of a small time step. As grid resolution increases, the ratio of run time to integration time may approach unity, so strategies to reduce run times are sought. This paper characterizes the performance gains of two parallel computing optimizations exercised on two different computer architectures. The optimizations include removal of explicit synchronization mechanisms (Level 1) and conversion of blocking to nonblocking communications (Level 2). Our findings show that Level 1 always improves speed-up over Level 0, while the effectiveness of Level 2 over Level 1 is mixed. Level 2 results in the best performance on a system with a relatively small bandwidth (100 Mb) interconnect switch, but in a few cases involving a system with a gigabit interconnect switch, Level 2 actually leads to slow-down as compared to Level 1. Level 2 was found to be more difficult to implement than Level 1, and the resulting code was less modular and more difficult to read. Overall, the marginal performance improvements of nonblocking communications (Level 2) cannot justify the effort to realize the optimization and the cost of a less readable program. In the context of algorithm development, we emphasize delaying optimizations until a correct parallel implementation has been obtained. The benefit is that optimizations best suited to the underlying hardware architecture can be identified.
The gene for alcoholism

BSERVE that the NIAAA referred to the gene(s) for alcoholism, not possible gene(s). Since 1944, when America's leading authority on alcoholism, E.M. Jellinek, pronounced categorically that alcoholism was transmitted socially, there has been a big change. The NIAAA's belief that genes influence alcoholism was reflected in a recent NIAAA monograph called "Alcoholism: A Genetic Disease." What has caused
Effect of part-time exposure to natural water-borne fluorides on the incidence of dental caries.

Abstract Evaluation was made of the effect on the incidence of dental caries in children of the consumption of fluorides occurring naturally in the drinking water either at home or at school. Full-time exposure to fluorides was not necessary to gain beneficial results. Ten per cent lower caries incidence than the control group was observed in all permanent teeth of a group of children consuming fluorides during school hours only. Eighteen per cent less caries was found in the premolar teeth of this group. Thirty-eight to seventy per cent less caries was found in another group of children consuming fluorides at home only. Here too the premolars demonstrated the greatest decrease (70 per cent) in DF surfaces.
Examining matched acute physiological responses to various modes of exercise in individuals who are overweight.

The purpose of this study is to perform a match comparison of 3 different exercise programs: traditional continuous endurance training (ET); mixed-intensity interval ET (MI-ET); and circuit-interval resistance training (CRT) programs, to determine which of the 3 programs provides greater benefit of exercise in individuals who are overweight. This benefit of training is measured in Caloric expenditure per minute of exercise (kcalxmin), along with acute cardiovascular responses (average and maximal heart rate [HR], bxmin) and time of training spent within a favorable HR training zone for the exerciser. Thirteen (13) individuals, 7 men and 6 women, average of 35 +/- 2.3 years of age, who are overweight, average body weight of 79.8 +/- 5.1 kg with a body mass index of 35 +/- 1, were recruited from a local fitness center and were then randomly assigned to an order to complete 1 session of each of the 3 modes of exercise. There was no difference between program groups (MI-ET, CRT, and ET programs) for average HR response, p > 0.05; however, the individuals while performing the MI-ET program spent a greater percent of training time within a favorable training zone than the CRT or ET programs (p 0.05). Although the CRT produces the greatest overall Caloric expenditure, the MI-ET program produces measures that provided a significantly greater benefit of exercise for the 3 programs of interest.
Electrical effects of potassium and bicarbonate on proximal tubule cells of Necturus.

The effects of stepwise concentration changes of K+ and HCO 3 − in the basolateral solution on the basolateral membrane potential (V bl) of proximal tubule cells of the doubly-perfusedNecturus kidney were examined using conventional microelectrodes. Apparent transference numbers were calculated from changes inV bl after alterations in external K+ concentration from 1.0 to 2.5mm (t K, 1.0–2.5), 2.5 to 10, and in external HCO 3 − concentration (at constant pH) from 5 to 10mm (t HCO3, 5–10), 10 to 20, or 10 to 50.t K, 2.5–10 was 0.38±0.02 under control conditions but was sharply reduced to 0.08±0.03 (P>0.001) by 4mm Ba++. This concentration of Ba++ reducedV bl by 9±1 mV (at 2.5 external K+). Perfusion with SITS (5×10−4 m) for 1 hr hyperpolarizedV bl by 10±3 mV and increasedt K, 2.5–10 significantly to 0.52±0.01 (P<0.001). Ba++ application in the presence of SITS depolarizedV bl by 22±3 mV. In control conditionst HCO3, 10–50 was 0.63±0.05 and was increased to 0.89±0.07 (P<0.01) by Ba++ but was decreased to 0.14±0.02 (P<0.001) by SITS. In the absence of apical and basolateral chloride, the response ofV bl to bicarbonate was diminished but still present (t HCO3, 10–20 was 0.35±0.03). Intracellular pH, measured with liquid ion-exchange microelectrodes, increased from 7.42±0.19 to 7.57±0.17 (P<0.02) when basolateral bicarbonate was increased from 10 to 20mm at constant pH. These data show that the effects of bicarbonate onV bl are largely independent of effects on the K+ conductance and that there is a significant current-carrying bicarbonate pathway in the basolateral membrane. Hence, both K+ and HCO 3 − gradients are important in the generation ofV bl, and their relative effects vary reciprocally.
Calcium agonist (BayK 8644) augments voltage-sensitive calcium currents but not synaptic transmission in cultured mouse spinal cord neurons

The effects of the calcium agonist, BayK 8644, and other agents upon voltage-dependent calcium conductance (VSCC) and evoked synaptic activity were studied in cultured mouse spinal cord and dorsal root ganglion neurons. As expected, BayK 8644 increased the VSCC corresponding to L channels. It had relatively little effect on evoked synaptic activity; the small but statistically significant effect that was noted was a decrease. Nitrendipine had either no effect or an increase with no statistically significant effect being seen with regard to synaptic activity over the pupulation sampled. An increased extracellular Ca++ concentration increased both VSCC and synaptic activity. We conclude that VSCC with L channel properties are probably not involved in transmitter release produced by action potentials in the central synapses occurring in the dissociated mouse spinal cord cell culture system.
Synthetic seismogram generation from sediment composition data — An initial study in the southwest Brazil Basin

Abstract A synthetic seismogram was constructed for Deep-Sea Drilling Site 515 in the Brazil Basin by convolving a measured 3.5 kHz seismic pulse with a reflectivity profile constructed from geologic parameters. Acoustic impedance was computed from detailed high-resolution carbonate measurements at 10 cm intervals over 62 m of Hydraulic Piston Core section (Hole 515A). The synthetic seismogram and two surface-ship 3.5 kHz profiles which cross near the site show a striking similarity to each other, suggesting that carbonate content is controlling the 3.5 kHz record at this site. Although the interference between pulses reflected from adjacent carbonate peaks occasionally changes the character of the reflected profile, specific reflecting horizons can be correlated with particular carbonate peaks. Previous studies suggest that the carbonate peaks in this core correspond to turbidites. The technique can be used to generate synthetic seismograms for sediment cores where the primary physical property information does not exist.
Internal multidimensional unfolding about a single-ideal—A probabilistic solution

Abstract A solution is presented for an internal multidimensional unfolding problem in which all the judgments of a rectangular proximity matrix are a function of a single-ideal object. The solution is obtained by showing that when real and ideal objects are represented by normal distributions in a multidimensional Euclidean space, a vector of distances among a single-ideal and multiple real objects follows a multivariate quadratic form in normal variables distribution. An approximation to the vector's probability density function (PDF) is developed which allows maximum likelihood (ML) solutions to be estimated. Under dependent sampling, the likelihood function contains information about the parametric distances among real object pairs, permitting the estimation of single-ideal solutions and leading to more robust multiple-ideal solutions. Tests for single- vs. multiple-ideal solutions and dependent vs. independent sampling are given. Properties of the proposed model and parameter recovery are explored. Empirical illustrations are also provided.
Effect of pH, temperature, antivenin and functional group inhibitors on the toxicity and enzymatic activities of Crotalus Atrox venom

Abstract Venom of Crotalus atrox can be detoxified with n -bromosuccinimide. The toxin(s) are not affected by treatment at low pH but are inactivated by heating at 75° or 100°. At these temperatures all the enzymes tested were inactivated except phospholipase A.
A pilot study of the feasibility of heart screening for sudden cardiac arrest in healthy children

Background In children, sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is associated with structural and electrical cardiac abnormalities. No studies have systematically screened healthy school children in the United States for conditions leading to SCA to identify those at risk. Methods From June 2006 to June 2007, we screened 400 healthy 5- to 19-year-olds (11.8 ± 3.9 years) in clinical offices at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia using a medical and family history questionnaire, weight, height, blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac examination, electrocardiogram (ECG), and echocardiogram (ECHO). Our goals were to determine the feasibility of adding an ECG to history and physical examination and to identify a methodology to be used in a larger multicenter study. A secondary objective was to compare identification of cardiovascular abnormalities by history and physical examination, ECG, and ECHO. Results Previously undiagnosed cardiac abnormalities were found in 23 subjects (5.8%); an additional 20 (5%) had hypertension. Potentially serious cardiac conditions were identified in 10 subjects (2.5%); 7 were suspected or identified by ECG and 3 more only by ECHO. Only 1 of the 10 had symptoms (previously dismissed); none had a positive family history. Conclusions It is feasible to screen for conditions associated with SCA in healthy children by adding ECG to history and physical examination. In this nongeneralizable sample, ECG identified more cases compared to history and physical examination alone, with further augmentation from ECHOs. Improvements in ECG and echocardiographic normative standards, representing age, gender, race, and ethnicity, are needed to increase the efficacy of screening in a young population.
Global characteristics of ionospheric electric fields and disturbances during the first hours of magnetic storms

Abstract The ionospheric plasma density can be significantly disturbed during magnetic storms. In the conventional scenario of ionospheric storms, the negative storm phases with plasma density decreases are caused by neutral composition changes, and the positive storm phases with plasma density increases are often related to atmospheric gravity waves. However, recent studies show that the global redistribution of the ionospheric plasma is dominated primarily by electric fields during the first hours of magnetic storms. In this paper, we present the measurements of ionospheric disturbances by the DMSP satellites and GPS network during the magnetic storm on 6 April 2000. The DMSP measurements include the F region ion velocity and density at the altitude of ∼840 km, and the GPS receiver network provides total electron content (TEC) measurements. The storm-time ionospheric disturbances show the following characteristics. The plasma density is deeply depleted in a latitudinal range of ∼20° over the equatorial region in the evening sector, and the depletions represent plasma bubbles. The ionospheric plasma density at middle latitudes (20°–40° magnetic latitudes) is significantly increased. The dayside TEC is increased simultaneously over a large latitudinal range. An enhanced TEC band forms in the afternoon sector, goes through the cusp region, and enters the polar cap. All the observed ionospheric disturbances occur within 1–5 h from the storm sudden commencement. The observations suggest that penetration electric fields play a major role in the rapid generation of equatorial plasma bubbles and the simultaneous increases of the dayside TEC within the first 2 h during the storm main phase. The ionospheric disturbances at later times may be caused by the combination of penetration electric fields and neutral wind dynamo process.
Soap — Another artefact that can mimic intramammary calcifications

Two cases are reported in which mammographic artefact simulating calcification was apparently due to soap film or soap flakes
Role of yeast SIR genes and mating type in directing DNA double-strand breaks to homologous and non-homologous repair paths

Eukaryotes have acquired many mechanisms to repair DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) [1]. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, this damage can be repaired either by homologous recombination, which depends on the Rad52 protein, or by non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ), which depends on the proteins yKu70 and yKu80 [2] [3]. How do cells choose which repair pathway to use? Deletions of the SIR2, SIR3 and SIR4 genes - which are involved in transcriptional silencing at telomeres and HM mating-type loci (HMLalpha and HMRa) in yeast [4] - have been reported to reduce NHEJ as severely as deletions of genes encoding Ku proteins [5]. Here, we report that the effect of deleting SIR genes is largely attributable to derepression of silent mating-type genes, although Sir proteins do play a minor role in end-joining. When DSBs were made on chromosomes in haploid cells that retain their mating type, sir Delta mutants reduced the frequency of NHEJ by twofold or threefold, although plasmid end-joining was not affected. In diploid cells, sir mutants showed a twofold reduction in the frequency of NHEJ in two assays. Mating type also regulated the efficiency of DSB-induced homologous recombination. In MATa/MATalpha diploid cells, a DSB induced by HO endonuclease was repaired 98% of the time by gene conversion with the homologous chromosome, whereas in diploid cells with an alpha mating type (matDelta/MATalpha) repair succeeded only 82% of the time. Mating-type regulation of genes specific to haploid or diploid cells plays a key role in determining which pathways are used to repair DSBs.
4s 2 4p 4 –4s4p 5 transitions in five-times-ionized yttrium (Yvi)

The spectrum of yttrium has been observed in a sliding spark discharge at peak currents up to 2000 A on the 10.7 m normal and grazing incidence vacuum spectrographs at NBS. From these observations, the group of 4s24p4–4s4p5 transitions in Yvi, which lie in the region 457–766 A, has been identified and measured, thus yielding values for the 4 levels of the 4s4p5 configuration and revised values for the 5 levels of the 4s24p4 configuration. The energy parameters obtained from a least-squares fit to the observed levels are compared with Hartree-Fock calculations.
EIC Editorial: State of the Transactions

THE IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing (TMC) has completed fi ve years since its inception in January 2002. The quality and quantity of submissions TMC receives is a clear indicator of its good reputation within the research community. The editorial board is working hard to maintain and, indeed, further improve this reputation. To handle the large number and breadth of submissions, over the last year, we added several new associate editors with diverse backgrounds, and also increased the publication frequency to once a month. We plan to add new associate editors to further diversify the editorial board and to improve the timeliness of the review process. These changes are expected to help maintain relatively low submission to publication delays. In this issue, I would like to introduce two new associate editors, Sumit Roy and Stephan Weiss. Sumit Roy’s biography is included below. Stephan Weiss’ biography is unfortunately not available for publication at this time. I would also like to thank the following people for the services they have provided: John Heideman, Jean-Pierre Hubaux, Ravi R. Jain, Robin Kravets, P.R. Kumar, and Wenwu Zhu, who have stepped down recently from their associate editor positions. We are able to maintain the high standards of TMC only due to the help of such dedicated associate editors, as well as the referees who volunteer their time to evaluate the manuscripts. Let me take this opportunity to thank our readers and authors for their support of TMC. Please feel free to contact me if you have any feedback or suggestions for the editorial board.
Modeling and Calibration for Exposure to Time-Varying, Modifiable Risk Factors The Example of Smoking Behavior in India

Background. Risk factors increase the incidence and severity of chronic disease. To examine future trends and develop policies addressing chronic diseases, it is important to capture the relationship between exposure and disease development, which is challenging given limited data. Objective. To develop parsimonious risk factor models embeddable in chronic disease models, which are useful when longitudinal data are unavailable. Design. The model structures encode relevant features of risk factors (e.g., time-varying, modifiable) and can be embedded in chronic disease models. Calibration captures time-varying exposures for the risk factor models using available cross-sectional data. We illustrate feasibility with the policy-relevant example of smoking in India. Methods. The model is calibrated to the prevalence of male smoking in 12 Indian regions estimated from the 2009–2010 Indian Global Adult Tobacco Survey. Nelder-Mead searches (250,000 starting locations) identify distributions of starting, quitting, ...
The glycine/NMDA receptor antagonist HA-966 impairs visual recognition memory in rhesus monkeys.

Recent studies have shown that strychnine-insensitive glycine binding sites positively modulate the N-methyl-D-asparate (NMDA) subclass of glutamate receptors, which are important in neural pathways involved in cognitive function. We examined the effect of (+/-)-3-amino-1-hydroxy-2-pyrrolidone (HA-966), a highly specific antagonist of this glycine modulatory site on the NMDA receptor, on visual recognition memory in four rhesus monkeys performing a computer-automated version of delayed nonmatching-to-sample (DNMS) with a list length of 20 trial-unique graphic symbols. In addition, the effect of HA-966 was compared with that of (+)-5-methyl-10, 11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten-5, 10-imine (dizocilpine; MK-801), a noncompetitive NMDA channel blocker. Administration of HA-966 (0.1-10 mg/kg, i.m.) 30 min before testing impaired DNMS performance dose-dependently, starting at doses of 3.2 mg/kg; the memory deficity following the highest dose (10 mg/kg) was associated with prolonged response latencies. Similar impairments in recognition memory were observed following treatment with MK-801, though at much lower doses (3.2-32 micrograms/kg) than those at which HA-966 was effective. Administration of low doses of HA-966 (1 mg/kg) and MK-801 (10 micrograms/kg), each of which had no significant effect on performance when given alone, also failed to impair performance when given concurrently. Combined administration of both drugs, each at amnesia-producing doses (3.2 mg/kg of HA-966 plus 32 micrograms/kg of MK-801), markedly impaired performance in an additive, not a synergistic, manner. From these results, we propose that the recognition memory impairment observed in our monkeys following HA-966 administration is via an action on the glycine modulatory site of the NMDA receptor complex.
Polycrystalline silicon/dielectric/substrate material systems for thin film transistor applications : The impact of material properties on transistors' characteristics

Polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) thin film transistors (TFTs) are currently attracting a great deal of attention for use as pixel switching elements and as driving elements in active matrix liquid crystal displays. For these applications, high quality poly-Si films on glass substrates associated with low thermal budget are necessary for fabricating high performance and long-term reliable poly-Si TFTs. We report herein on a comprehensive study of material qualities of poly-Si produced by low temperature solid-phase crystallization (SPC) and metal-induced SPC (MISPC). We subsequently fabricate n-channel TFTs on the SPC and MISPC crystallized poly-Si and study their properties. The parameter space investigated includes a-Si:H deposition conditions, substrate type, glass substrate coating, glass substrate treatment, metal type, and metal/coating film thickness. Mechanisms for SPC and MISPC kinetics are proposed and variations in TFT's leakage current, threshold voltage, subthreshold swing are interpreted in terms of models incorporating generation/population of traps in the poly-Si channel, bulk gate-oxide, or poly-Si/gate-oxide interface coupled with field emission of carriers from these traps.
Applied Anthropology: Domains of Application

Applied Anthropology: Domains of Application. Satish Kediaand John van Willigen. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2005. 376 pp.
A simple gigacycle correlator

Gigacycle correlator involving sampling oscilloscopes for real time display of correlation functions over adjustable time interval, discussing design and performance
Mechanism of dopamine mediated inhibition of neuropeptide Y release from pheochromocytoma cells (PC12 cells)

In rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells the dopamine D(2) receptor agonists apomorphine (APO) and n-propylnorapomorphine (NPA) produced a concentration dependent inhibition of K(+)-evoked neuropeptide Y release (NPY-ir). The effect of APO was blocked by the dopamine D(2)-receptor antagonist, eticlopride, but not the D(1)/D(3) or the D(4)/D(2) antagonists, SCH23390 or clozapine, respectively. The D(1)/D(5) receptor agonist, SKF38393 or the D(3) agonists PD128907 and 7-OH DPAT had no effect. Selective N and L-type voltage gated Ca(2+) channel blockers, omega-conotoxin GVIa (Ctx-GVIa) and nifedipine, respectively, produced a concentration dependent inhibition of NPY-ir release but were not additive with APO. The Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaM kinase) II inhibitor KN-62 produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of NPY-ir release but the combination of KN-62 and APO produced no further inhibition. PMA-mediated protein kinase C stimulation significantly increased both basal and K(+)-evoked release of NPY-ir, and in the presence of PMA APO had no inhibitory effect. The PKC antagonist, chelerythrine, inhibited K(+)-evoked NPY-ir release but was not additive with APO. Neither forskolin-mediated adenylate cyclase activation and the active cAMP analog Sp-cAMPS, nor the adenylate cyclase inhibitor SQ 22536, and the competitive inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinases Rp-cAMPS, had any significant effect on K(+)-evoked NPY-ir release. This suggests the inhibitory effect of APO on K(+)-evoked release of NPY-ir from PC12 cells is most likely mediated through activation of dopamine D(2) receptors leading to direct inhibition of N and L-type voltage gated Ca(2+) channels, or indirect inhibition of PKC, both of which would reduce [Ca(2+)](i) and inactivate CaM kinase.
Discrete weighted residual methods Multi-interval methods

Boundary-value problems that arise in practice often exhibit rapid growth and decline behaviour. The single interval discrete weighted residual method (Nouman and Schonbach 1977) approach may be inadequate for solving such boundary-value problems. This paper, therefore, is devoted to developing and illustrating multi-interval discrete weighted residual methods (DWRM's) for solving these numerically sensitive problems. The numerical difficulties associated with solving these boundary-value problems are reduced by dividing the problem interval into a number of sub-intervals and constructing the DWBM solution piecewise in each of these subintervals. Joining conditions are imposed at the interfaces of adjacent subintervals to piece together the individual solutions in each of the subintervals. The modal coefficients are evaluated as the solution of the combined DWRM and joining condition equations. Multi-interval DWRM's provide computationally efficient procedures for solving numerically sensitive boundary-va...
Effect of electric fields on the surface of nanostructured electrodes on charge formation

The processing of the atomic force microscopy images of specific nanostructured electrodes made of different metals shows that the shape of a nanostructure’s peak can be well approximated using a parabolic dependence. The local electric fields and injection currents are calculated using the data on the nanostructured surface of electrodes with the aid of the Fowler-Nordheim dependence. A qualitative analysis is performed and the applicability of the proposed approach in the construction of the electroconvection mass- and heat-exchange devices is demonstrated.
Engineering lipid overproduction in the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica

Conversion of carbohydrates to lipids at high yield and productivity is essential for cost-effective production of renewable biodiesel. Although some microorganisms can convert sugars to oils, conversion yields and rates are typically low due primarily to allosteric inhibition of the lipid biosynthetic pathway by saturated fatty acids. By reverse engineering the mammalian cellular obese phenotypes, we identified the delta-9 stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) as a rate limiting step and target for the metabolic engineering of the lipid synthesis pathway in Yarrowia lipolytica. Simultaneous overexpression of SCD, Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC1), and Diacylglyceride acyl-transferase (DGA1) in Y. lipolytica yielded an engineered strain exhibiting highly desirable phenotypes of fast cell growth and lipid overproduction including high carbon to lipid conversion yield (84.7% of theoretical maximal yield), high lipid titers (~55g/L), enhanced tolerance to glucose and cellulose-derived sugars. Moreover, the engineered strain featured a three-fold growth advantage over the wild type strain. As a result, a maximal lipid productivity of ~1g/L/h is obtained during the stationary phase. Furthermore, we showed that the engineered yeast required cytoskeleton remodeling in eliciting the obesity phenotype. Altogether, our work describes the development of a microbial catalyst with the highest reported lipid yield, titer and productivity to date. This is an important step towards the development of an efficient and cost-effective process for biodiesel production from renewable resources.
2.7. Continuities in Kepler scholarship: the European Kepler symposia in historiographical perspective

BETWEEN August and October 1971 many conferences in honor of Kepler were held across Europe? Several of these symposia (reviewed in this paper) took place in a number of cities where Kepler lived and worked and where many others have since labored to uncover the significance of his writings: in Weil der Stadt, Kepler's birthplace; in Linz, where he was district mathematician from 1612 to 1626; in Leningrad, where Kepler's manuscripts were brought in the eighteenth century by Catherine the Great; in London, at a meeting of the British Society for the History of Science held at the Warburg Institute; and in Zag~in, where Kepler spent the last two years of his life in great loneliness before his death in Regensburg. Special displays of Kepleriana could be seen not only at the various symposia, but also in Prague, where Kepler succeeded Tycho Brahe as Court Astronomer to the Emperor Rudolph II and where he composed his great Astronomiae pars opticae (1604) and the Astronomia Nova (1609); and in Tiibingen, the site of Kepler's university training, his work with Michael M/istlin and his adoption of the Copernican theory. A series of lectures on Kepler's life were given at Graz, location of the young astronomer's
Uneven Economic Growth and the World Economy’s North–South Stratification

The liberal formula for peace and prosperity in the 21st century involves substantial convergence in economic growth rates between the affluent North and the poor South, facilitating a decrease in the global North–South gap. This diminished developmental gap should lead to reduced conflict within the South and between the North and South. The problem is that long-term world economic growth is stimulated in part by intermittent upsurges in radical technology generated principally in the system's lead economy. These growth impulses diffuse outwards from the center of the North unevenly. We hypothesize that Northern economies are the primary beneficiaries of these periodic extensions of the technological frontier and that much less trickles down to the South. We test this question of uneven diffusion with time series data dating back to 1870 on systemic leadership growth, Northern economic growth, and Southern economic growth. We find that technological gains in the North have been more likely to expand the North–South gap than to close it. To the extent that the South and Southern turmoil are a function of uneven growth and stratification, neither is apt to disappear anytime soon.
Breaking the news or fueling the epidemic? Temporal association between news media report volume and opioid-related mortality.

BACKGROUND: Historical studies of news media have suggested an association between reporting and increased drug abuse. Period effects for substance use have been documented for different classes of legal and illicit substances, with the suspicion that media publicity may have played major roles in their emergence. Previous analyses have drawn primarily from qualitative evidence; the temporal relationship between media reporting volume and adverse health consequences has not been quantified nationally. We set out to explore whether we could find a quantitative relationship between media reports about prescription opioid abuse and overdose mortality associated with these drugs. We assessed whether increases in news media reports occurred before or after increases in overdose deaths. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Our ecological study compared a monthly time series of unintentional poisoning deaths involving short-acting prescription opioid substances, from 1999 to 2005 using multiple cause-of-death data published by the National Center for Health Statistics, to monthly counts of English-language news articles mentioning generic and branded names of prescription opioids obtained from Google News Archives from 1999 to 2005. We estimated the association between media volume and mortality rates by time-lagged regression analyses. There were 24,272 articles and 30,916 deaths involving prescription opioids during the seven-year study period. Nationally, the number of articles mentioning prescription opioids increased dramatically starting in early 2001, following prominent coverage about the nonmedical use of OxyContin. We found a significant association between news reports and deaths, with media reporting preceding fatal opioid poisonings by two to six months and explaining 88% (p Language: en
Children's use of extended three- dimensional surfaces for reorientation

Abstract Disoriented humans and nonhuman animals reorient by the overall shape of theenvironment(1). For example, when subjects see an object being hidden in onecorner of a rectangular room and then are disoriented, they restrict their search tothe two geometrically correct corners (the correct corner and its diagonal).Geometry-based reorientation occurs only with extended surfaces: for example,3-year-olds reorient by a rectangular array of wall panels but not by a rectangledrawn on the floor(2). In seven experiments, we asked what defines an extendedsurface by testing the reorientation of 4-year-old children in a circular enclosurecontaining a rectangular area defined by taped lines on the floor, by surfaces ofvarious heights, or by extended columns, both separate and connected by borderson or off the ground.Children reoriented by the shape of extended surfaces of all heights, including <1inch, but not by lines on the floor or unconnected columns. When columns wereconnected by borders, children's use of geometry was more variable. Thesefindings begin to shed light on the properties of the visual layout that guidenavigation. They contribute to the evidence that visual representations ofsurfaces are crucial for the geometric encoding that underlies reorientation.1. K. Cheng, N.S. Newcombe. (2005). Is there a geometric module for spatialreorientation? Squaring theory and evidence, Psychonomic Bulletin and Review,12, 1-23.2. S. Gouteux, E. S. Spelke. (2001). Children's use of geometry and landmarks toreorient in an open space. Cognition, 81, 119-148.Received March 23, 2006.© 2006 ARVO
Producibility consideration for millimeter-wave transceivers

Producibilityconsiderations for millimeter wave transceiversCharles R. SeashoreAlliant Techsystems Inc., Defense Systems GroupHopkins, Minnesota 55343ABSTRACTConsiderable progress has been made in the development and demonstration of millimeter wave MMIC technology up tofrequencies approaching 100 GHz. The recently completed multiyear, ARPA-sponsored, MIMIC program provided aconsiderable amount of funding and government-contractor team energy to advance the state-of-art with a number ofimportant GaAs-based transceiver building blocks. Unfortunately, producibility of millimeter wave MMIC transceivermodules has not been similarly addressed to provide a truly low cost, marketable product. This paper considers the moduleproducibility problem and its various technological implications.KEYWORDS: millimeter wave, radar, transceivers, MIMIC, producibility, low cost, packaging1. INTRODUCTIONThe current transceiver module producibility situation can be summarized with the following problem statement:• Significant technical progress has been made in millimeter wave MMIC development utilizing MESFET, PHEMT,and HBT device technologies• This forms a realistic scenario for MMIC component insertion in military and commercial systems if costs can bereduced• Producibility of low-cost millimeter wave transceivers is not mature and must be addressed with critical attention toMMIC costs and module assembly and acceptance test processes.The ARPA MIMIC program charted new territory in developing gallium arsenide analog integrated circuits for numerous RFapplications and operating frequencies.1 Several thousand wafers were produced during Phase 2 to demonstrate repeatabledesigns and reduced fab cycles. Wafer test data was collected and entered into computer data bases for analyzing design and
Moral Norms and Environmental Behavior: An Application of Schwartz's Norm-Activation Model to Yard Burning1

The purpose of this study was to examine some conditions under which moral norms, i.e., respect for the health of others, would be expected to influence environmentally related behavior. In particular, using a model developed by Schwartz, the study was conducted to determine whether variation in awareness of consequences (AC) and ascription of responsibility (AR) were associated with yard-burning behavior. It was expected that respondents who were aware of the negative consequences which burning could have for other people, and who accepted responsibility for their burning and its consequences, would be less likely to burn yard or garden wastes than those who were unaware of these conditions. It was found that AR was significantly related to burning behavior, while AC had only a weak association with burning. Further, as expected from Schwartz's model, a significant interaction between AR, AC, and burning behavior was found. These findings are discussed and the usefulness of this type of model for understanding other environmental behaviors is considered.
Neurophysiological monitoring in vascular surgery

Abstract This chapter reviews current concepts involved with monitoring the well-being of the central nervous system during vascular procedures. Electrophysiological techniques discussed include the electroencephalogram, somatosensory and motor-evoked potentials. Recently developed techniques which monitor changes in cerebral artery blood flow velocity and relative cerebral oxygen saturation round out this review. Each technique is discussed with regard to the anatomical and physiological principles involved with their use. Clinical examples are used to illustrate the intraoperative use of each technique. Finally, for the monitoring techniques extensively studied, a discussion concerning the prediction efficacy for new postoperative neurological deficits is presented.
Switchgrass influences on soil biogeochemical processes in the dryland region of the Pacific Northwest.

Switchgrass and other perennial grasses have been promoted as biomass crops for production of renewable fuels. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of biomass removal on soil biogeochemical processes. A 3-year field study consisting of three levels of net primary productivity (NPP; low, medium, and high growing season precipitation) and two biomass crops (winter wheat and switchgrass) was conducted near Pendleton, Oregon. Switchgrass increased soil carbon (C)–nitrogen (N) ratio, but the effect varied with net primary productivity (NPP) and soil depth. In situ soil respiration (carbon dioxide; CO2) rate from switchgrass increased with NPP level but switchgrass had greater cumulative flux than wheat in medium and low NPP. Nitrogen mineralization and microbial biomass carbon were significantly greater under switchgrass than under wheat at high and medium NPP. Introduction of switchgrass initiates major changes in soil nutrient dynamics through organic-matter input.
Marijuana Use, Social Discontent and Political Alienation: A Study of High School Youth

This paper, based on a statewide survey of 907 Florida high school seniors, reveals that self-reported marijuana use, regardless of cause, has social and political implications, though not at the high level of association suggested by the stereotype of a pot-smoking, hippie, political radical. Demographically, the user is typically an urban white male from a wealthier and better educated family. Marijuana users are differentiated from non-users in their more negative views toward the most proximate authority structures and their desire for changes in laws regulating behaviors commonly associated with youth. Marijuana use was not associated with broader social concerns or political ideology, and was only tenuously associated with political alienation. The relationship between measures of social discontent and political alienation reveals a more homogeneous pattern among users than non-users, thus supporting Goode's “subcommunity” hypothesis.
Folate depletion secondary to iron deficiency in the neonatal rat.

Two experiments were performed to investigate the effect of dietary iron deficiency during reproduction on folate status in rat dams and pups. In experi ment 1, twenty pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats (190-200 g) were fed one of two diets (8 ppm Fe, 1 ppm folate or 250 ppm FA©, I ppm folate) throughout gestation and until day 18 of lactation when dams and their pups (seven per litter) were killed. Although there was no effect of iron deficiency on dam folate status, iron-deficient pups had decreased liver folate activity compared to controls. Milk free folate activity was sig nificantly decreased by 34% in iron-deficient dams compared to controls. To deter mine if iron deficiency affected folate status at birth, experiment 2 was conducted. Nine pregnant rats (215-230 g) were fed one of two diets (6 ppm FA©, I ppm folate or 250 ppm FA©, I ppm folate) throughout gestation and until day 2 of lactation. Liver and kidney folate activities were similar in both groups of pups on day 2 of lactation. It is concluded that the stress of lactation superimposed on iron deficiency alters the folate composition of rat milk, and results in folate depletion in 18-day-old rat pups. J. Nutr. 113: 2471-2478, 1983.
Modeling temperature gradients across edges over time in a managed landscape

Landscape management requires an understanding of the distribution of habitat patches in space and time. Regions of edge influence can form dominant components of both managed and naturally patchy ecosystems. However, the boundaries of these regions are spatially and temporally dynamic. Further, areas of edge influence can be defined by either biotic (e.g. overstory cover) vs. abiotic (e.g. microclimate) characteristics, or structural (e.g. vegetation height) vs. functional (e.g. decomposition rates) features. Edges defined by different characteristics are not always concordant; the degree of spatial concurrence varies with time. Thus, edge effects are difficult to generalize or quantify across a landscape. We examined temperature at eight times of the day across the edge between a clearing and a 50-year-old pine stand. We used simple, nonlinear equations to model and predict temperature gradients across this edge over time. The depth of edge influence (DEI) on temperature varied from 0 to 40 m, depending on the patch type and time of day. Two equations were required to model adequately (r 2 >0.50) patterns of temperature at all eight times of the day. Model fit was best at night (r 2 a0.97) and lowest in the afternoon (r 2 a0.50). Parameters for the models could be predicted from local, reference weather conditions. However, these linear relationships varied among parameters and with time of day (0.29r 2 0.99). Model validation was weak, with mean absolute percent error >10% for all day-time combinations. The models tended to underestimate DEI for both patch types, though edge depth was more accurately predicted in the closed-canopy stand than in the clearing. The difference between observed and predicted edge effects was highest at midday in the clearing and during the morning under closed canopy. The models predicted the location of peak temperature and the slope of temperature change (i.e. pattern of temperature variation) across the edge and the range of temperature better than actual values. We suggest that this approach may, therefore, be useful for characterizing edge dynamics if a wider range of local weather conditions could be monitored during initial data collection. The empirical evidence for temporal changes in position and intensity of abiotic edge effects emphasized the need to quantify these dynamics across time and space for sound planning at the landscape scale. # 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
On Multi-Directional Context Sets

The classical framework of context-tree models used in sequential decision problems such as compression and prediction is generalized to a setting in which the observations are multi-tracked, multi-sided, or multi-directional, and for which it may be beneficial to consider contexts comprised of possibly differing numbers of symbols from each track or direction. Tree representations of context sets and pruning algorithms for those trees are extended from the uni-directional setting to two directions. We further show that such tree representations do not extend, in general, to m directions, m >; 2, and that, as a result, determining the best m-directional context set for m >; 2 may be substantially more complex than in the case of m ≤ 2. An application of the proposed pruning algorithm to denoising, where m=2 , is presented.