cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transepithelial potential difference profile of the distal tubule of the rat kidney.

Transepithelial potential difference profile of the distal tubule of the rat kidney. In a recent micropuncture study electrodes with relatively large tips (3 to 5 µ O.D.) and, hence, low tip resistances were used to measure the transepithelial potential difference (PD) across the proximal tubule of the rat kidney. The present study reexamines the PD of the distal tubule of the rat kidney using such electrodes. In contrast to previous studies where a negative PD has been uniformly found in the distal tubule, the transtubular PD was found to be positively oriented (+3.7 mv) when particular efforts were made to puncture the earliest accessible segments. In accord with previous observations, the PD of the late segment was consistently negative (mean, -19.6 mv). Morphologic examination of the epithelium at the site of puncture suggests that in the very early distal tubule where positive potentials are recorded, the epithelium is characteristic of the distal convoluted tubule. By contrast, in the latter part of the distal tubule, where negative potentials are recorded, the epithelium displays the morphologic characteristics of the cortical collecting duct. The results of these studies suggest that the net transport properties of the distal tubule, that is the region of the nephron beginning just beyond the macula densa and extending to the first junction with another renal tubule, are a composite of activities of at least two types of epithelium. Profil de la difference de potentiel transepitheliale le long du tube distal du rein de rat. Dans un travail recent de microponction, nous avons utilise des electrodes avec des extremites relativement grandes (3–5µ de diametre exterieur) et, par consequent, des resistances de pointes faibles pour mesurer la difference de potentiel (PD) transepitheliale dans le tube proximal du rein de rat. Le present travail reexamine la PD du tube distal du rein de rat au moyen de telles electrodes. Contrairement aux travaux anterieurs ou une PD negative avait ete observee uniformement le long du tube distal, nous avons observe que la PD transtubulaire est positive (+3,7 mv) quand une attention particuliere est consacree a ponctionner les segments les plus precoces. En accord avec les observations anterieures, le PD des segments tardifs est nettement negative (moyenne -19,6 mv). L'exament morphologique des cellules du lieu de pontion suggere que, dans le tube distal tres precoce, ou les potentiels positifs sont enregistres, les cellules sont semblables, quoique non identiques, a celles de la branche large ascendante. Au contraire dans la partie tardive du tube distal, ou les potentiels negatifs sont enregistres, les cellules ont une morphologie caracteristique du canal collecteur cortical.
Cognitive "Priming" of Principled Moral Thought

Principled moral reasoning was studied in relation to procedures designed to elicit either formal operational or concrete operational cognitive sets. College students were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions (formal operational priming, concrete operational priming, or control) prior to completing Rest's Defining Issues Test (DIT). Mean P-scores on the DIT were significantly higher in the formal operational priming condition than in either of the other conditions. Cognitive and motivational interpretations of the findings are presented.
DNA Methylation and Genome Evolution in Honeybee: Gene Length, Expression, Functional Enrichment Covary with the Evolutionary Signature of DNA Methylation

A growing body of evidence suggests that DNA methylation is functionally divergent among different taxa. The recently discovered functional methylation system in the honeybee Apis mellifera presents an attractive invertebrate model system to study evolution and function of DNA methylation. In the honeybee, DNA methylation is mostly targeted toward transcription units (gene bodies) of a subset of genes. Here, we report an intriguing covariation of length and epigenetic status of honeybee genes. Hypermethylated and hypomethylated genes in honeybee are dramatically different in their lengths for both exons and introns. By analyzing orthologs in Drosophila melanogaster, Acyrthosiphon pisum, and Ciona intestinalis, we show genes that were short and long in the past are now preferentially situated in hyper- and hypomethylated classes respectively, in the honeybee. Moreover, we demonstrate that a subset of high-CpG genes are conspicuously longer than expected under the evolutionary relationship alone and that they are enriched in specific functional categories. We suggest that gene length evolution in the honeybee is partially driven by evolutionary forces related to regulation of gene expression, which in turn is associated with DNA methylation. However, lineage-specific patterns of gene length evolution suggest that there may exist additional forces underlying the observed interaction between DNA methylation and gene lengths in the honeybee.
A high-efficiency near-infrared spectrograph for the Apache Point 3.5 m telescope

A point-source spectrograph under development for the APO 3.5 m telescope offers resolving powers (R = λ/Δλ) of 1000 and 4000 in the near-IR (0.85-2.5 μm) while using wide slits matched to the seeing disk. The use of diamond-turned aluminum and crystal optics in a straightforward optical path coupled with a Hawaii-1RG detector provides excellent end-to-end efficiency of 32%-39% (including the telescope optics). Designed primarily for follow-up studies of brown dwarf and high redshift quasar candidates identified by wide-field surveys such as SDSS and 2MASS, this instrument will afford the 3.5 m telescope superb capability for a wide variety of science programs. In this paper we present the goals and design of the spectrograph and its expected performance.
Optimization of moisture content for wheat seedling germination in a cellulose acetate medium for a space flight experiment

The Porous Tube Plant Nutrient Delivery System (PTPNDS), a hydrophilic, microporous ceramic tube hydroponic system designed for microgravity, will be tested in a middeck locker of the Space Shuttle. The flight experiment will focus on hardware operation and assess its ability to support seed germination and early seedling growth in microgravity. The water controlling system of the PTPNDS hardware has been successfully tested during the parabolic flight of the KC-135. One challenge to the development of the space flight experiment was to devise a method of holding seeds to the cylindrical porous tube. The seed-holder must provide water and air to the seed, absorb water from the porous tube, withstand sterilization, provide a clear path for shoots and roots to emerge, and be composed of flight qualified materials. In preparation for the flight experiment, a wheat seed-holder has been designed that utilizes a cellulose acetate plug to facilitate imbibition and to hold the wheat seeds in contact with the porous tube in the correct orientation during the vibration of launch and the microgravity environment of orbit. Germination and growth studies with wheat at a range of temperatures showed that optimal moisture was 78% (by weight) in the cellulose acetate seed holders. These and other design considerations are discussed.
Latinos’ Access to Online and Formal Mental Health Support

Research on mental health services disparities affecting minority populations of the USA tends to neglect online mental health support (OMHS). The main objective of this study was to investigate online mental health support and help-seeking of Latino citizens living in US communities by estimating associations linking OMHS with a selection of individual and community variables. In addition, the extent to which unmet mental health treatment needs among adults are associated with key variables was examined. Variables of interest included economic resources, health insurance and coverage, confidentiality, perceived stigma, and accessibility. Data are from 39,630 Latino adult participants in the National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 2004–2010. Results indicate that for every 10,000 US Latino adults, fewer than 25 individuals received recent OMHS, as compared to a recently published estimate of 270–330 per 10,000 for the US population generally. Among Latinos with self-described unmet mental health needs, an estimated 40% identified cost of treatment as a prominent barrier that explained why they had not received formal mental health treatment services. Research and policy health disparities implications are discussed.
Stabilization of semiquinone intermediates in the photoreduction of phenanthrenequinone by complex formation.

— The yellow color of 9,10-phenanthrenequinone in alcohol solution is bleached under the influence of exciting radiation in a band of wavelengths extending from the ultraviolet to the visible green. The bleaching is due to a photoreduction of the quinone yielding 9,10-dihydroxyphenanthrene. In the presence of certain divalent metal ions, irradiation of the quinoid material results in a blue-green long lived intermediate which may be further photo-reduced to the colorless 9,10-diol. The blue-green photo-intermediate is a cation-semiquinone complex.
Asymmetry in Family History Implicates Nonstandard Genetic Mechanisms: Application to the Genetics of Breast Cancer

Genome-wide association studies typically target inherited autosomal variants, but less studied genetic mechanisms can play a role in complex disease. Sex-linked variants aside, three genetic phenomena can induce differential risk in maternal versus paternal lineages of affected individuals: 1. maternal effects, reflecting the maternal genome's influence on prenatal development; 2. mitochondrial variants, which are inherited maternally; 3. autosomal genes, whose effects depend on parent of origin. We algebraically show that small asymmetries in family histories of affected individuals may reflect much larger genetic risks acting via those mechanisms. We apply these ideas to a study of sisters of women with breast cancer. Among 5,091 distinct families of women reporting that exactly one grandmother had breast cancer, risk was skewed toward maternal grandmothers (p<0.0001), especially if the granddaughter was diagnosed between age 45 and 54. Maternal genetic effects, mitochondrial variants, or variant genes with parent-of-origin effects may influence risk of perimenopausal breast cancer.
Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone I (LHRH-I) and its metabolite in peripheral tissues.

Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) was first isolated in the mammalian hypothalamus and shown to be the primary regulator of the reproductive system through its initiation of pituitary gonadotropin release. Since its discovery, this form of LHRH (LHRH-I) has been shown to be one of many structural variants with a variety of roles in both the brain and peripheral tissues. Enormous interest has been focused on LHRH-I and LHRH-II and their cognate receptors as targets for designing therapies to treat cancers of the reproductive system. LHRH-I is processed by a zinc metalloendopeptidase EC 3.4.24.15 (EP24.15) that cleaves the hormone at the fifth and sixth bond of the decapeptide (Tyr5-Gly6) to form LHRH-(1–5). We have previously reported that the autoregulation of LHRH gene expression can also be mediated by its processed peptide, LHRH-(1–5). Furthermore, LHRH-(1–5) has also been shown to be involved in cell proliferation. This review will focus on the possible roles of LHRH and its processed pepti...
Effectiveness of virtual reality-based instruction on students' learning outcomes in K-12 and higher education

The purpose of this meta-analysis is to examine overall effect as well as the impact of selected instructional design principles in the context of virtual reality technology-based instruction (i.e. games, simulation, virtual worlds) in K-12 or higher education settings. A total of 13 studies (N?=?3081) in the category of games, 29 studies (N?=?2553) in the category of games, and 27 studies (N?=?2798) in the category of virtual worlds were meta-analyzed. The key inclusion criteria were that the study came from K-12 or higher education settings, used experimental or quasi-experimental research designs, and used a learning outcome measure to evaluate the effects of the virtual reality-based instruction.Results suggest games (FEM?=?0.77; REM?=?0.51), simulations (FEM?=?0.38; REM?=?0.41), and virtual worlds (FEM?=?0.36; REM?=?0.41) were effective in improving learning outcome gains. The homogeneity analysis of the effect sizes was statistically significant, indicating that the studies were different from each other. Therefore, we conducted moderator analysis using 13 variables used to code the studies. Key findings included that: games show higher learning gains than simulations and virtual worlds. For simulation studies, elaborate explanation type feedback is more suitable for declarative tasks whereas knowledge of correct response is more appropriate for procedural tasks. Students performance is enhanced when they conduct the game play individually than in a group. In addition, we found an inverse relationship between number of treatment sessions learning gains for games.With regards to the virtual world, we found that if students were repeatedly measured it deteriorates their learning outcome gains. We discuss results to highlight the importance of considering instructional design principles when designing virtual reality-based instruction. A comprehensive review of virtual reality-based instruction research.Analysis of the moderation effects of design features in a virtual environment.Using an advance statistical technique of meta-analysis to study the effects.Virtual reality environment is effective for teaching in K-12 and higher education.Results can be used by instructional designers to design the virtual environments.
Turn exchange behaviors of children with normally developing language: the influence of gender.

The turn exchanges of normally developing 8-year-old boys and girls were examined within adult-child dyadic interaction. Videotaped language samples were analyzed for gender differences in the chil...
Open repair of pectus excavatum with minimal cartilage resection.

Pectus chest deformities are among the most common major congenital anomalies, occurring in approximately 1 in every 400 births.1 Pectus excavatum (PE) is commonly recognized during the first year of life, although frequently asymptomatic until adolescent skeletal growth occurs, and the deformity becomes much more severe.2 Increasing evidence indicates that PE deformities cause physiologic impairment and limitations, as well as adverse cosmetic and psychologic effects.3 Patients with PE commonly try to keep up with their peers in physical activities using wider diaphragmatic excursions with tachypnea to compensate for diminished chest wall excursions during respiration and tachycardia to compensate for reduced cardiac output. The majority of patients, however, experience a worsening of their symptoms until full skeletal growth has been achieved. The great majority of PE deformities will remain with the same severity throughout adult life. Until the past few years, most surgeons performed only a small number of corrective operations for PE each year, using a variety of open surgical techniques based on the reports by Ravitch,4 Welch,5 and others. The reported results have been inconsistent, which has often caused reluctance among referring physicians, as well as patients, to recommend correction of the deformity. During the past 7 years, with the new concept of minimally invasive PE repair (MIRPE) reported by Nuss et al,6 and the availability of several informative pectus web sites on the Internet, many patients of all ages have become aware that their deformities can be corrected with a higher degree of success and lower risk for morbidity than in previous years. The present report summarizes our clinical experience with a new highly modified and less extensive open repair for PE deformities in 75 consecutive patients. Consent for the study was granted by the UCLA Medical Center Institutional Review Board.
Regulation of gene expression in choriocarcinoma by methotrexate and hydroxyurea.

Choriocarcinoma, a highly malignant neoplasm of trophoblastic origin, is remarkable for its marked degree of sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents. We treated two cell lines derived from choriocarcinoma patients with two antineoplastic agents, methotrexate and hydroxyurea (HU), both of which cause nucleotide depletion and have been previously shown to be effective against choriocarcinoma, and found pleiotropic regulation of several genes. Three genes, hCG α-subunit, β-subunit, and placental alkaline phosphatase, were all strongly induced by methotrexate and HU. Expression of c-myc, an oncogene associated with proliferation, was reduced to nearly undetectable levels by the drug treatment, while expression of β2-microglobulin, a component of the class 1 major histocompatibility locus, was unchanged. In addition, the mechanism of induction by HU of one of these genes, the hCG α-subunit gene, was found to occur at the level of transcription. The similar effects of methotrexate and HU, two mechanistically unr...
Day-to-Day Variation in Food Consumption by Largemouth Bass

Abstract Substantial day-to-day variation in food consumption by groups of laboratory-held age-0 large-mouth bass Micropterus salmoides occurred at temperatures of 14, 20, and 26 C for 108–113- and 136–140-mm size classes of fish. The largemouth bass were continuously provided with an unrestricted ration of live fathead minnows Pimephales promelas. Day-to-day differences in food consumption could not be distinguished from random variation about a mean value, indicating that day-to-day consumption levels were independent of each other. The effects of fish sample size on the number of sample dates needed to assure certain levels of precision in the estimation of mean diel food consumption over 5-week intervals (based on the feeding schedule of age-0 largemouth bass in the present study) were simulated by computer. A 95% probability of only a 10% relative error level (coefficient of variation) would require sampling 25 fish from two to four times over the 5-week period. Caution should be exercised when obser...
Genomic Analysis of wig-1 Pathways

Background Wig-1 is a transcription factor regulated by p53 that can interact with hnRNP A2/B1, RNA Helicase A, and dsRNAs, which plays an important role in RNA and protein stabilization. in vitro studies have shown that wig-1 binds p53 mRNA and stabilizes it by protecting it from deadenylation. Furthermore, p53 has been implicated as a causal factor in neurodegenerative diseases based in part on its selective regulatory function on gene expression, including genes which, in turn, also possess regulatory functions on gene expression. In this study we focused on the wig-1 transcription factor as a downstream p53 regulated gene and characterized the effects of wig-1 down regulation on gene expression in mouse liver and brain. Methods and Results Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) were identified that specifically target mouse wig-1 mRNA and produce a dose-dependent reduction in wig-1 mRNA levels in cell culture. These wig-1 ASOs produced marked reductions in wig-1 levels in liver following intraperitoneal administration and in brain tissue following ASO administration through a single striatal bolus injection in FVB and BACHD mice. Wig-1 suppression was well tolerated and resulted in the reduction of mutant Htt protein levels in BACHD mouse brain but had no effect on normal Htt protein levels nor p53 mRNA or protein levels. Expression microarray analysis was employed to determine the effects of wig-1 suppression on genome-wide expression in mouse liver and brain. Reduction of wig-1 caused both down regulation and up regulation of several genes, and a number of wig-1 regulated genes were identified that potentially links wig-1 various signaling pathways and diseases. Conclusion Antisense oligonucleotides can effectively reduce wig-1 levels in mouse liver and brain, which results in specific changes in gene expression for pathways relevant to both the nervous system and cancer.
Incontinence after lateral internal sphincterotomy: a prospective study and quality of life assessment.

PURPOSE: Lateral internal sphincterotomy is an effective treatment for chronic anal fissures; however, the risk of “incontinence” has generated interest in pharmacologic approaches that are far less effective and may be poorly tolerated. This study was designed to objectively define the risk of incontinence with sphincterotomy using the Fecal Incontinence Severity Index and assess the implications for quality of life using the Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale. METHODS: A prospective study was undertaken on all patients undergoing lateral internal sphincterotomy for a chronic anal fissure by a single surgeon at a university teaching hospital from January 1, 2000 to September 30, 2002. All patients had failed at least six weeks of nonoperative management. Patient demographics and use of nitroglycerin were noted. The Fecal Incontinence Severity Index was measured preoperatively and at a six-week postoperative visit when fissure healing and postoperative complications were assessed. The Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale was administered to patients with an incontinence score > 0. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients (15 males) underwent sphincterotomy during the study period. Thirty-one of 35 had failed nitrates: 10 because of unacceptable side effects, and 21 because of lack of efficacy. Thirty-two patients returned for their six-week postoperative visits, and two completed their questionnaires by telephone. One patient was lost to follow-up. Mean age was 41.2 (range, 21–67) years. Thirty of 32 (94 percent) evaluable fissures had healed by six weeks, one healed by three months, and the other required V-Y anoplasty. There were two minor complications. Three patients had postoperative deterioration in their continence score. Quality of life deteriorated in only one patient. CONCLUSIONS: Lateral internal sphincterotomy is a safe and effective treatment for chronic anal fissures that only occasionally impairs continence and rarely diminishes quality of life.
Excess Free Energy Approach to the Estimation of Solubility in Mixed Solvent Systems II: Ethanol–Water Mixtures

□ The use of the reduced three-suffix solubility equation in characterizing solubility in ethanol-water mixtures is discussed. The equation states that In x2,mS=z^1Inx2,1S+z^3Inx2,3S−A1−3z^1z^32z^1−1−q2/q1+A3−12z^12z^3q2/q3+C2z^1z^3, where x2,1S, x2,3S, and x2,mS are the mole fraction solubilities of the solute in ethanol (subscript 1), water (subscript 3), and in the mixture (m); A3 -1 and A3 -1 are solvent-solvent interaction terms; C2 is a solute-solvent interaction term; and the q- and z-values are molar volumes and solute-free volume fractions, respectively. The contributions of the various terms in the equation to solubility are examined, and the possible use of its derivative in indicating whether a maximum may exist in the solubility profile is discussed. Methods of obtaining the solvent-solvent interaction constant and the ternary constant C2 are described, and the general effectiveness of the equation in describing solubility is examined. The equation is shown to be applicable to 10 compounds with widely different physical properties and, thus, appears to combine both ease of use and general utility.
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) produces localized and specific alterations in neurochemistry: a ¹H magnetic resonance spectroscopy study.

Abstract Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been found to produce significant changes in behavior, including a large increase of learning and performance for a difficult visual perceptual task (Clark et al., NeuroImage 2010). The mechanisms by which tDCS produces these behavioral effects are currently uncertain. One hypothesis is that anodal tDCS leads to increased metabolic activity in the brain, which enhances cognitive and memory processes. Here we examined the neuronal mechanisms by which tDCS influences learning by measuring changes in brain metabolite concentrations using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1 H MRS). As perception and learning can also influence neurochemistry, here we applied tDCS during rest. MRS data was obtained before and after 2.0 mA of anodal tDCS was applied for 30 min over electrode site P4, with the cathode placed on the contralateral arm. MRS data were acquired from the right parietal lobe beneath the anodal tDCS electrode, and from the homologous regions of the left hemisphere once before and once after tDCS. Significantly higher combined glutamate and glutamine levels were found in right parietal cortex, beneath the stimulating electrode, with non-significant increases in homologous regions of the opposite hemisphere. In addition, a significant interaction between hemispheres was found for tDCS effects on tNAA. These results suggest that changes in glutamatergic activity and tNAA may be related to the mechanisms by which tDCS influences learning and behavior.
Spectra of PP-wave limits of M-/Superstring theory on AdSp × Sq spaces

In this paper we show how one can obtain very simply the spectra of the PP-wave limits of M-theory over AdS7(4) × S4(7) spaces and IIB superstring theory over AdS5 × S5 from the oscillator construction of the Kaluza-Klein spectra of these theories over the corresponding spaces. The PP-wave symmetry superalgebras are obtained by taking the number P of ``colors'' of oscillators to be large (infinite). In this large P limit, the symmetry superalgebra (8*|4) of AdS7 × S4 and the symmetry superalgebra (8|4,) of AdS4 × S7 lead to isomorphic PP-wave algebras, which is (4|2) 18,16, while the symmetry superalgebra (2,2|4) of AdS5 × S5 leads to [(2|2)⊕(2|2)⊕(1)] 16,16 as its PP-wave algebra [m,n denoting a super-Heisenberg algebra with m bosonic and n fermionic generators]. The zero mode spectra of M-theory or IIB superstring theory in the PP-wave limit correspond simply to the unitary positive energy representations of these algebras whose lowest weight vector is the Fock vacuum of all the oscillators. General positive energy supermultiplets including those corresponding to higher modes can similarly be constructed by the oscillator method.
Kinetics of administered aggregated IgG in rats with passive Heymann's nephritis.

Abstract The kinetics of radiolabeled heat-aggregated human IgG (AHIgG 125 I) were studied in rats with passive Heymann's nephritis (PHN) induced 72 hr previously with decomplemented rabbit antiserum to rat FX1A. Control rats were injected with decomplemented normal rabbit serum (NRS). Following administration of AHIgG 125 I (40 mg per 100 g of body wt) control and FX1A animals were sacrificed in groups of five each at 2, 4, 8, 16, and 24 hr and kidney, liver, spleen, lung, plasma, and blood cells obtained. 131 I-Labeled human serum albumin (HSA 131 I) was administered prior to sacrifice as a plasma marker. In FX1A rats the following observations were made in comparison with control rats: (1) A decrease in the concentration of AHIgG 125 I in glomeruli was observed at 2, 4, and 8 hr after administration; (2) a significant increase in clearance reflected by a decrease in the concentration of plasma trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-precipitable radioactivity, and AHIgG 125 I (>7 S) was present; (3) a significant increase in non-TCA-precipitable radioactivity in plasma and blood cells at most time periods; and (4) decreased concentrations of AHIgG 125 I in liver and spleen but not lung. The specificity of these observations was supported in separate experiments by the lack of any difference in the plasma levels of TCA-precipitable radioactivity after administration of radiolabeled albumin to FX1A and control rats. Studies in FX1A and control rats revealed no differences in body weight, kidney weight, hematocrit, blood volume, urine output, glomerular filtration rate, renal blood flow, or renal vascular resistance. A slight increase in urinary rat albumin excretion was observed in FX1A rats. The lower values of AHIgG 125 I observed in plasma, liver, and spleen associated with increased levels of non-TCA-precipitable radioactivity in plasma and blood cells suggest enhanced catabolism of AHIgG 125 I in FX1A rats, leading to decreased localization within the mesangium.
The demographic rates and social institutions of the nineteenth-century negro population: a stable population analysis

Poca investigacion se ha efectuado para obtener informacion sobre el crecimiento y cambios de la Poblacion Negra de los Estados Unidos en el siglo pasado. Deficiencias en los datos censales y la ausencia de sistemas vitales de inscripci6n, hacen imposible calcular muchas de las tasas demograficas mas usadas. Sin embargo modelos de poblacion esiable se pueden ajustar a la poblacion Negra y obtener asi varws parametros. Parece ser que la poblacion negra crecio rapidamente por lo menos hasia 1880—porque la tasa de mortalidad sobrepasa 50, mientras que la lasa de mortalidad estuvo alrededor de SO. La esperanza aproximada de vida era SO anos al nacer Y 40 arios a los diez anos de edad.
Development and evaluation of a high-volume dichotomous sampler for chemical speciation of coarse and fine particles

Abstract This study presents the development and field evaluation of a compact high-volume dichotomous sampler (HVDS) that collects coarse ( PM 2.5 – 10 ) and fine ( PM 2.5 ) particulate matter. The key features of this device is the utilization of a round nozzle virtual impactor with a 50% cutpoint at 2.5 μ m aerodynamic diameter, operating at a high inlet flow rate ( 1000 l min - 1 ) with a calculated Reynolds number of approximately 1.1 × 10 5 . In its primary configuration as tested, the sampler size-fractionates PM 10 into coarse and fine fractions with a minor flow ratio of 10% (minor/total flow rate), with major and minor flow rates of 900 and 100 l min - 1 , respectively. Performance evaluation for concentration enrichment was conducted with a 4% minor flow ratio ( 40 l min - 1 minor flow) as well. Tests demonstrated near ideal results at both 10% and 4% minor flow ratios, indicating enrichment to be independent of minor flow rates within the range evaluated. Reasonable agreement was found between the new sampler and collocated Partisol and MOUDI for ambient measurements. A tandem virtual impactor super-concentration system was also tested with the 1000 l min - 1 virtual impactor followed by a 100 l min - 1 round nozzle virtual impactor and proved to be an efficient system to achieve higher concentration enrichment of ambient particles up to 180 times ambient levels. Investigation of the effect of different ambient parameters like RH and wind speed on coarse PM concentration corroborates results from earlier studies. The HVDS is an effective system to collect coarse and fine PM simultaneously, allowing for comprehensive standard chemical analyses over short sampling intervals.
Distribution of the paths of early-arriving photons traversing a turbid medium

We describe experiments to measure the spatial and the temporal distribution of photons traversing a turbid medium in the early-arriving regime in which the photons are multiply scattered but are not completely randomized. The photon paths are resolved temporally by a streak camera and spatially by an adjustable absorbing screen with a small aperture. The results are compared with predictions of a theory based on path integrals (PIs) and with the standard diffusion approximation. The PI theory agrees with the data for both long and short times of flight; this agreement is in contrast to the diffusion approximation, which fails for short times. An alternative PI calculation, based on the use of an effective Lagrangian, also agrees with the experiments. PI theory succeeds because it preserves causality. The implications for optical tomography are discussed.
Hippocampal sclerosis : a common pathological feature of dementia in very old (≥80 years of age) humans

In a neuropathological study of 81 brains of prospectively studied subjects of 80 years of age or older at the time of death, 13 cases (16%), including 4 men and 9 women, had hippocampal sclerosis (HpScl) affecting the vulnerable region of the hippocampus. In demented subjects of 80 years of age or older, the frequency of HpScl was even higher, 26%. Cases with HpScl had significantly fewer hippocampal senile plaques (SP) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) and parahippocampal NFT than cases without HpScl, but did not differ significantly in any of the other measured pathological parameters. Enzyme-linked analysis of synaptic protein immunoreactivity in a subset of 33 cases demonstrated significant decreases in the hippocampus, but not in frontal, temporal, parietal or parahippocampal cortices. All but 1 of the cases with HpScl had Blessed information, memory and concentration scores (BIMC) of 8 or more, and all were considered to be demented. In some patients memory disturbance was disproportionate to deficits in other cognitive areas. All but 4 of the cases with HpScl had many non-neuritic, amyloid plaques in the neocortex meeting NIA criteria for Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, given the advanced age of the subjects, amyloid plaques were considered to represent age-related cerebral amyloid deposition ("pathological aging") in most cases. Only 3 cases had both many SP and NFT in multiple cortical regions consistent with AD. Another case had brain stem and cortical Lewy bodies consistent with diffuse Lewy body disease (DLBD). A few ballooned neurons were present in the limbic cortices in 3 cases, including one case of dementia with argyrophilic grains (DAG) in limbic and orbital frontal and temporal cortices. The 8 cases without AD, DLBD or DAG included 4 cases in which no other obvious cause of dementia was detected and 4 cases in which HpScl was accompanied by either multiple cerebral infarcts or leukoencephalopathy, or both, that could have contributed to dementia. Patients with HpScl had risk factors, clinical signs and post-mortem pathological findings of cardiovascular disease, but due to the high prevalence of these conditions in very old humans, no significant correlation with HpScl was detected. This study demonstrates that HpScl is a common post-mortem finding in demented, but not normal, elderly subjects. It may contribute to. or be a marker for, the increased risk of dementia in subjects with documented cardiovascular disease or a history of myocardial infarction.
Analysis and applications of a generalized finite element method with global-local enrichment functions

Abstract This paper presents a procedure to build enrichment functions for partition of unity methods like the generalized finite element method and the hp cloud method. The procedure combines classical global–local finite element method concepts with the partition of unity approach. It involves the solution of local boundary value problems using boundary conditions from a global problem defined on a coarse discretization. The local solutions are in turn used to enrich the global space using the partition of unity framework. The computations at local problems can be parallelized without difficulty allowing the solution of large problems very efficiently. The effectiveness of the approach in terms of convergence rates and computational cost is investigated in this paper. We also analyze the effect of inexact boundary conditions applied to local problems and the size of the local domains on the accuracy of the enriched global solution. Key aspects of the computational implementation, in particular, the numerical integration of generalized FEM approximations built with global–local enrichment functions, are presented. The method is applied to fracture mechanics problems with multiple cracks in the domain. Our numerical experiments show that even on a serial computer the method is very effective and allows the solution of complex problems. Our analysis also demonstrates that the accuracy of a global problem defined on a coarse mesh can be controlled using a fixed number of global degrees of freedom and the proposed global–local enrichment functions.
The equatorial ionospheric electric fields. A review

Abstract The equatorial electric fields have been extensively studied over the last decade using radio, radar and rocket observations. Radar measurements of vertical and east-west F -region drift velocities at Jicamarca have determined the seasonal and solar cycle variations of the F -region east-west and vertical electric fields, respectively. Rocket observations during twilight indicate the existence of a shear in the east-west drifts with eastward velocities near and above the F -region density peak and westward velocities in the lower F -region where incoherent scatter radar observations are not effective. The vertical drift (i.e. east-west electric field) changes considerably with magnetic activity, but the F -region east-west drift (vertical electric field) is not affected. During magnetically disturbed periods the zonal equatorial electric field shows frequent and large fluctuations indicating the penetration of magnetospheric electric fields into the low-latitude ionosphere. The coupling processes are not yet totally clear. Considerable progress has been made recently in the understanding of these quiet-time and disturbed equatorial electric fields.
Soil Water Dynamics in Continuous Winter Wheat in the Semiarid Pacific Northwest, USA

In semiarid climates, efficient precipitation capture and storage are necessary for successful small grain production. This is especially true in Mediterranean climates dependent on winter precipitation occurring before the most active growth and grain development stages of winter wheat (WW, Triticum aestivum L.). The effects of residue cover and tillage on soil water under annual WW were investigated at Pendleton, OR, on a Walla Walla silt loam soil, (coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Haploxerolls). These effects were investigated using three treatments in annually cropped WW, (i.e., no fallow year), consisting of no-till (NT), crop residue incorporated with tillage (TI), and crop residue removed before tillage and then returned to the soil surface after tillage (RR). Field data showed that ground cover from crop residue resulted in more soil water from December 24 through May 20 in the driest crop year, 2005, of the 3-yr experiment, but no differences in the two relatively wet crop years 2004 and 2006. The mean soil water in a 105-cm profile when treatment differences occurred were as follows; NT = 187 mm, RR = 168 mm, and TI = 155 mm. The differences were relatively small, however, with NT 31.7 mm more than TI and 19.2 mm more than RR, and RR 12.5 mm more than TI. During normal years these differences could be expected to diminish. This research indicates that tillage practices in the Pacific Northwest have small effect where the land surface is essentially level, but ground cover can play an important role during exceptionally dry years on precipitation capture and storage.
Contingently faded heart rate biofeedback: Attempted replication of large-magnitude decreases

McKinney et al. (1980) reported large-magnitude reductions in heart rate (HR) from resting baseline levels, employing shaping and fading techniques and a reinforcement program in which a secondary reinforcer was awarded both contingently and immediately during training. The four male subjects in this group showed significantly greater HR decreases than a group of four males receiving beat-by-beat analogue HR feedback. The present study compared decreases in HR in 20 male subjects receiving the contingently faded biofeedback procedure to those shown by 10 male subjects for whom reinforcement was contingent on vigilant observation of a visual display, and independent of HR. The former group showed significantly greater decreases in HR that could not be attributed to elevated baseline levels. However, the decreases in HR were not as large as those reported by McKinney et al. (1980). It is argued that future research should assess variables contributing to individual differences in performance.
Renal Disease in Recipients of Nonrenal Solid Organ Transplantation

Worldwide, more than 250,000 individuals who have received a liver, heart, lung, or intestinal transplant are living longer. Twenty percent to 25% of these recipients experience perioperative acute renal failure, with 10% to 15% requiring renal replacement therapy. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is also highly prevalent, affecting 30% to 50% of the nonrenal organ transplant population with an annual end-stage renal disease risk of 1.5% to 2.0%. Both acute renal failure and CKD contribute to increased morbidity and premature mortality. The dominant causative factor for renal disorders seen in nonrenal transplant recipients are the calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) and rapamycin analogues, which singly or in combination lead to a variety of nephrotoxic injury. However, 25% to 30% of nonrenal transplant recipients with CKD have other conditions such as hypertension, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, and hepatitis C infection as the principal underlying cause. Management strategies for renal disease in the nonrenal transplant recipients include the following: (1) delayed introduction of CNI after graft implantation, (2) withdrawal or minimization of long-term CNI therapy, (3) timely use of an appropriate dialysis modality, and (4) expeditious introduction of supportive measures such as anemia management, phosphate binding therapy, and dietary modification. Compared with maintenance dialysis, kidney transplantation reduces long-term mortality by 60% to 70% in nonrenal transplant recipients with end-stage renal disease.
Ordering transformation and spinodal decomposition in Au−Ni alloys

A transmission electron microscope (TEM) was employed to study the ordering and phase separation processes in Au-40 at. pct Ni and Au-50 at. pct Ni alloys in order to test for the possible existence of a transient long-range-order (LRO) phenomenon within a disordered miscibility gap. An L10 LRO phase was found in the Au-50 at. pct Ni alloy when spinodally decomposed specimens were reannealed at ∼490°C on a TEM hot stage. This observation, together with the literature results, indicates that a transient LRO did exist in the Au−Ni system, although it appeared during a reversion process. Attempts to find the L10 and L12 LRO phases during decomposition processes of a single-phase homogeneous solid solution were unsuccessful, except in very thin sections of the TEM foils. Elastic strain energy relaxation was employed to explain the experimental observations. Time-temperature—transformation (TTT) diagrams for the two Au−Ni alloys were constructed based on the TEM characterization. In bulk-annealed samples, only spinodal decomposition and discontinuous precipitation structures were observed.
Dietary Fat Alters Body Composition, Mammary Development, and Cytochrome P450 Induction after Maternal TCDD Exposure in DBA/2J Mice with Low-Responsive Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptors

BackgroundIncreased fat intake is associated with obesity and may make obese individuals uniquely susceptible to the effects of lipophilic aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) ligands.ObjectivesWe inves...
System identification problems and the method of moments

Abstract The method of moments is developed and applied to the identification problem arising in biosciences. In particular, we are concerned with computing the elements of an N × N matrix A such that X ′( t )= AX ( t )+ W ( t ), t > 0. Here the data for X ( t ) and W ( t ) is obtained from experiments. Using the moments, mom n ( X ) = ∫ ∞ 0 t n X ( t ) dt , of X ( t ) and W ( t ), we obtain a linear system of equations for the elements of A . An application to a four compartmental model for studying liver disorders is given. Numerical examples of our results are discussed in detail for flourescence decay experiments.
Main group metal halide complexes with sterically hindered thioureas. IX. New complexes of selected post-transition metals and 1,3-dimethyl-2(3H)-imidazolethione and a structural investigation of infrared peak shifts associated with coordination

Abstract Five new complexes of sterically hindered 1,3- dimethyl-2(3H)-imidazolethione (dmit) with the chlorides of Cd(II), Hg(II), Te(II), Sn(IV) and Sb(V) have been synthesized and characterized. The previously reported Zn(II) adduct was also synthesized and further characterized. These complexes were of the general formula MXn(dmit)m where n = 2 and m = 2 when M = Zn, Cd, Hg and Sn; and n = 2 and m = 4 for Te(II). The only 1:1 adduct observed was SbCl5dmit, and its chemistry is more complex giving rise to unique redox products upon heating in solution. Solid state spectra of these complexes as well as for dmit complexes are reported and discussed with regard to the coordination sensitive NCN asymmetric stretch and the CS stretch observed not only for dmit complexes but for tetramethylthiourea (tmtu) complexes reported in the literature as well. Greatest shifts on coordination are observed with the NCN asymmetric stretch for tmtu causing shifts to higher wave numbers ranging from 55 to 95 cm−1 relative to free tmtu. Shifts are explained on the basis of observed crystal structures of tmtu adducts showing a greater CN double bond character. Dmit adducts show much smaller shifts both to higher and lower wave numbers for this mode relative to free ligand, and the CS stretch shows little change also. Comparison to known crystal structures show little change in the bond distances of the dmit ligand upon coordination. Inductive effects based on correlations of shift magnitude to the Sanderson group electronegativity (SGEN) of the acceptor seem to be unrelated with the exception of a small positive correlation observed for the NCN asymmetric stretch of tmtu.
Expanding the repertoire of plasmids for PCR-mediated epitope tagging in yeast

Epitope tagging of yeast proteins provides a convenient means of tracking proteins of interest in Western blots and immunoprecipitation experiments without the need to raise and test specific antibodies. We have constructed four plasmids for use as templates in PCR-based epitope tagging in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These plasmids expand the range of epitopes available in a tag-URA3-tag context to include the FLAG, HSV, V5 and VSV-G epitopes. The cloning strategy used would be easily applicable to the construction of a similar tag-URA3-tag molecule for essentially any desired epitope. Oligonucleotides designed for PCR from one plasmid may be used interchangeably with any of the other template molecules to allow tagging with different epitopes without the need for new primer synthesis. We have tagged Tfc6 with each of the triple epitope tags and assessed the efficiency of these epitopes for chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). For all the tagged alleles, ChIP occupancy signals are easily detectable at known Tfc6 target genes. These new tags provide additional options in experimental schemes requiring multiple tagged proteins.
Laboratory Assessment of Beauveria bassiana (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) strain GHA for Control of Listronotus maculicollis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Adults

ABSTRACT Bioassays were designed to evaluate Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin strain GHA against Listronotus maculicollis (Kirby) adults. B. bassiana and its “inert” carrier oil in the product BotaniGard and the inert carrier oil alone provided 99 and 96% mortality, respectively, in petri dish assays 1 d after treatment when applied in 1 ml water. When the same treatments were applied in 0.5 ml of carrier water, mortality was only 1.4 and 0.7%, respectively, 1 d after treatment. After 10 d in petri dishes, B. bassiana and its inert carrier oil and the inert carrier oil alone applied in 0.5 ml water showed 77 and 9% mortality, respectively. When one-tenth the label dosage of B. bassiana and inert carrier oil was combined with neonicotinoids applied in 1 ml water, there were significant increases in weevil mortality over the neonicotinoids alone 1 d after treatment. When 88.7% of one-tenth the label dosage of inert carrier oil alone was combined with neonicotinoids clothianidin, imidacloprid, and dino...